GREEN THROUGH COOL ROOF COATING

Hi! Folks,

Some of you may have read about the news on "NYC Cool Roofs" initiative by the former US Vice President Al Gore when he made the statement that "the threat we face from the climate crisis is unsurpassed. He stressed that smart policies like installing cool roofs is one way that we are going to meet the challenge", he was echoing previous statement from Energy Secretary Chu, earlier in this year, who was pushing white or reflective roofs as the lowest cost climate strategy.

This triggers me to ask what can I do for my roof top tiles so as to respond to their noble call. 

Basically, dark-colored roofs absorb heat and increase cooling costs. By coating the roofs white (or paler color), a "cool roof" reflects heat away and keeps the building more comfortable. Cool roof coatings help roofs to last longer, increase the efficiency of air conditioning equipment and greatly reduce peak energy use to avoid brownouts or blackouts during hot summer months.

See Photo above on White coatings - The white coating is sprayed over a base coat on top of an old built-up roof. Source: Interface, February 2007 

It is obvious that demand for cool roof coating technology is expected to rise significantly. According to Energy Secretary Chu's Geoengineering concept, a global "cool roofs" strategy can achieve far bigger benefits - the equivalent of several trillion dollars worth of CO₂ reductions - since it can increase the albedo (reflectivity) of the planet, thereby directly reducing the absorption of incoming solar radiation and hence planetary warming. 

However, this is not suitable for my house as they are made of roof tiles. Therefore, I have to opt for other alternatives and I came across metal roofing which may be useful for some of you. 

Append below is some description on metal roofing for your reference and consideration.

Developments in pigment technologies are also making it possible to expand color options beyond white or very light shades. With the development of solar reflective pigments, colors can now be formulated to meet 65% reflectivity. These developments are especially targeted to residential applications, consumers continuing to gravitate toward the aesthetic appeal of the darker shades and designs. Therefore, advancements in coating technology for metal roofing have focused around the development of darker shades of pigments - Infra-Red reflective pigments - that retain the ability to provide the desired level of solar reflectivity and emittance.

Whereas the photo above is on Reflective Roof Coatings - Metal Roof Retrofit. (Source : Washington State University)

May I be allowed to throw the ball to your court and please let me know what are the other available alternatives for Tiles roof top in term of the latest technology and effectiveness ? Appreciate if you could let me know either through email or via comments. 

At the same time, we, at the Lift You Up, also urge the developers to employ the latest technology to address the global climate issue. Thank you.

We look forward to hearing from you,  

Your Chief Servant,

James Oh
Founder and Group CEO