One of the best ways to improve the energy efficiency of your company building is with the right commercial roofing. High-efficiency options commonly offered by most commercial roofing services are cool roofs; however, green roofs can do the same thing in the right environment.
Before you hire a commercial roofing company to install either of these options, you need to understand the difference between cool and green roofs and which one will be better for your building.
What Is a Cool Roof?
A cool roof reflects the sun’s UV rays, preventing their passage through roofing materials and into the building below it. There are many ways this effect can be achieved, from the use of commercial roofing materials with a high reflection or R-value to painting reflective coatings on roofing material that prevent the absorption of UV energy so it cannot enter the building and heat it.
Cool roofs are efficient in reducing cooling costs in warmer climates where releasing heat in the summer is more of an issue than retaining heat in the winter. There are very few disadvantages to having a commercial roofing company install this type of roof other than the glare off the top of the building from the white/light materials. The cost is higher than a standard commercial installation; however, this difference is quickly recuperated in energy savings.
What Is A Green Roof?
A green roof is a living, vegetative surface that absorbs the sun’s UV rays and holds the heat energy within it, rather than allowing it to pass through and enter the building. Commercial roofing services accomplish this by creating a surface on the top of the building that becomes a bed for grass and other plants. Green commercial roofing can also grow flowers and vegetables.
Green roofs are just as effective as cool roofs in reducing cooling costs in warmer climates and have a few other advantages as well. They protect the underlying membrane system from UV and hail damage, reduce noise pollution in the building, absorb damaging environmental carbon dioxide, and help control stormwater runoff.
There are a few significant disadvantages that commercial roofing companies warn about, including the significant weight of these installations, the need for an irrigation system, and the continuous care they require.
Which One Should You Choose?
In deciding which energy-saving systems you should have installed by commercial roofing services, it is important for you to have specific goals in mind and understand the negative factors of each roof.
Cool structures offer you the easiest means of keeping your building cooler by reflecting UV rays. They have fewer installation restrictions, and require less maintenance.
Green installations are efficient, beautiful, and productive; however, they require a strong support structure with a durable, watertight membrane base. and require ongoing maintenance.
Cool and green commercial roofing are both excellent options to make your commercial building more energy efficient in warmer climates. Yet they each perform in different ways and are suitable for different buildings. Careful consideration of the advantages and disadvantages is important.
Discuss your building and your goals with a commercial roofing company that is experienced in both cool and green roofs. Expert commercial roofing services can help you make the right choice to improve energy efficiency while understanding everything you can expect from these installations!
