When buying an energy-efficient roof, the Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) is the first thing to look for. Apart from making your life easier, this metric also helps you decide more soundly to lower your utility bills and minimize your property’s carbon footprints.
In today’s post, Hinkle Roofing explains how can SRI benefit you from choosing the most efficient residential or commercial roofing system:
Promoting Objective Decision-Making
Let’s face it, most roofers use the term “cool roof” quite loosely. Although cool roofs are truly more reflective than most products, their exclusive label doesn’t offer much clarification on how efficient they really are. To demystify energy efficiency, just look at the product’s SRI value.
Expressed in numbers 0 to 100, roofing systems with high SRI values have an excellent ability to reject solar heat. Their surface temperature doesn’t rise that much, transferring less energy to your rooms and keeping your indoor climate pleasantly cool.
Without knowing the SRI values of products, there’s no objective way to find out which ones are the most efficient. You’d just to rely on marketing copies and choose the one with the most persuasive pitch, which isn’t the smartest way to buy a roof.
Debunking Misconceptions
Another practical use of the SRI is to disprove erroneous beliefs about cool roofs. Generally, light-colored roofing materials are more reflective than those with dark hues. However, 21st-century technology has turned that fact into an assumption. Some modern products, especially asphalt shingles, are actually remarkably reflective even with dark hues.
For instance, GAF’s Timberline Cool Series Shingles are available in slate- and wood-like color blends while having a 29 SRI value. Most dark-colored asphalt shingles have lower SRI values because they lack exceptionally reflective cool granules.
Making Your Property LEED-Certified
Buying a roof with a high SRI value puts you a step closer to gaining the Leadership in Energy and Environmental (LEED) Design certification. This green building program has many practical benefits, including energy savings, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and greater property value.
Moreover, experienced roofers would recommend pursuing LEED certification to qualify for different federal and state tax credits. Regardless of how much you could deduct to offset your tax liabilities, it’s just one way to make your energy-efficient roofing upgrade more rewarding.
Choose the coolest roof you could buy for your home in Calera or Hoover, AL. Call Hinkle Roofing now at (205) 352-1940 to talk about your project and get a free estimate.
