Want To Build An Energy-Efficient Residential Roof? Consider These Factors

Time to choose a roof for your new home construction? While several factors come into play when designing a residential roofing system, always remember to consider energy efficiency. 

The roof you build will make up a significant part of the building envelope. Like it or not, it will impact your home's energy efficiency tremendously. Choosing an energy-efficient one will help lower your home's ecological footprint and save you money on domestic utility bills.

So, what influences the energy efficiency of different roofing options? Consider these factors if you're in the market for energy-efficient roofing material.

Thermal Mass Of The Roofing Material

In roofing design, the thermal mass of a roofing material describes that material's ability to absorb, store and release heat. Roofing materials with a high thermal mass are generally preferred for regions that experience extreme temperature fluctuations during the daytime and nighttime.

During the daytime, they absorb and store solar heat, making the interiors of a building cooler. As temperatures become colder when the night sets in, these roofing materials release the heat inside the building, providing warmth to building occupants.

You can significantly reduce your building's HVAC load by using roofing material whose thermal mass enables it to cushion the building against temperature fluctuations, minimizing your heating and cooling bills.

The thermal mass of a roof increases with the thickness of the roofing material used, so thicker roofing material should be used to maximize the impact of thermal mass on a building's energy usage.

Roof Color

Every roofing system has load limitations that must be adhered to ensure building safety. While desirable, roofing materials with high thermal mass can be super-heavy and unsafe for certain building applications.

If you can't capitalize on the thermal mass properties of your preferred roof to save energy, consider the roof's color.

White or bright-colored roofs are known for their reflective properties, which enable them to deflect solar heat away from a building's interiors. On the other hand, darker roofs lend themselves to heat absorption, transferring the absorbed heat to the interior environment where it is needed.

Matching your residential roof's color to your local climate can work magic for your energy-saving goals, as you can minimize the unwanted heat gains that increase your cooling load in summer and utilize solar heat to keep warm in winter.

Careful roofing material selection can help improve the energy efficiency of your new home tremendously. Contact a local roofing contractor if you need expert advice on which roof is best for your energy efficiency goals. For more information on roof installation, contact a professional near you.