The roof design is fundamental for an energy efficient home. You can have the most efficient air conditioning and space heating equipment in the market, but they will still waste energy if your roofing material is not an effective thermal barrier.
- A roof that is constantly absorbing heat in summer leads to higher air conditioning costs.
- A roof that loses too much heat during winter will drive up your heating and home maintenance costs.
To be energy efficient, a roof must accomplish two main functions. It must have a surface that reflects as much sunlight as possible away from your home, since this reduces heat gain during summer.
Your roof also needs adequate insulation, since this helps you save on HVAC costs all year long. Insulation reduces both summer heat gain and winter heat loss.
You can go one step further: there are now roofs with built-in solar cells, which means they can generate electricity all year long. In this scenario, the roof is not only acting as a thermal barrier for your home, but also as an onsite power generator.
As you can see in the monthly Consumer Price Index data, US electricity prices were up by more than 14% last year. Consequently, home solar systems have become more valuable since the electricity they generate is now worth more.
Here we will discuss three of the most efficient roofing options for homes:
- Roof shingles with Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) and/or ENERGY STAR rating.
- Metal roofs with CRRC and/or ENERGY STAR rating.
- GAF Timberline Solar Shingles
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