Saving energy with the right roofs

As heating bills and gasoline prices escalate, people are looking at various ways to save energy and become more environmentally conscious, such as purchasing hybrid vehicles and investigating alternative heat sources.

Because energy efficiency and protecting the environment are increasingly urgent issues, NRCA and its industry partners have developed a program to educate contractors, the design community, building owners and homeowners about how roof systems can contribute to reducing energy costs and protecting the environment. The program is SpecRight; the tag line is "Save your energy. You've found the right roof."

The issues

On April 21, 2005, President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 into law. The act provides tax deductions to owners of commercial buildings that exceed the requirements of ASHRAE 90.1, "Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings," and pro-rated tax credits to those who try to make a building more energy efficient, such as by increasing roof insulation. In addition, homebuilders and manufacturers of manufactured homes are eligible for tax credits for highly energy-efficient construction.

The Energy Policy Act reaffirms the validity of various research findings related to energy efficiency of roof systems. For example, studies conducted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories (LBNL), Berkeley, Calif., and the Florida Solar Energy Center show light-colored roof systems can contribute up to 40 percent energy savings in "cooling climate zones." These zones have warm, humid climates, such as Orlando, Fla., where buildings often are cooled below ambient outside temperatures and interior air generally is drier than exterior air.

LBNL says if buildings in Los Angeles had light-colored reflective roof systems, total energy- and smog-related savings would be more than $500 million annually. In addition, increasing the R-value of a typical commercial roof system in Los Angeles from R-9 to R-15 could reduce energy costs by $2,500 per year and carbon dioxide emissions by thousands of pounds.

And according to calculations using NRCA's EnergyWise Roof Calculator, the owner of a typical one-story warehouse in Chicago with a roof area of 10,000 square feet (929 m²) and minimal insulation could expect to save $27,000 in annual energy costs by replacing the existing roof system and adding a minimum R-15 roof insulation.

Because of these findings and the fact that as buildings age, they become less energy-efficient, NRCA and other major industry organizations believe it is time to take the lead in educating roofing professionals and end users about energy-efficient roof system design, materials, installation and maintenance. To do so, NRCA and its industry partners developed the SpecRight Program.

The basics

The SpecRight Program was conceived in early 2005 by NRCA and is supported by an industry coalition of representatives from the Metal Construction Alliance, North/East Roofing Contractors Association, Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association and Roof Consultants Institute, as well as several roofing manufacturers: Carlisle SynTec Inc., Carlisle, Pa.; ERSystems Inc., Rockford, Minn.; Firestone Building Products Co., Indianapolis; GAF Materials Corp., Wayne. N.J.; Johns Manville Corp., Denver; Owens Corning Corp., Toledo, Ohio; and Sarnafil Inc., Canton, Mass.

The initial goal of the SpecRight Program is to inform the building owner community about the important role quality roof systems play in conserving energy and protecting the environment. Once this phase is under way, the program will begin outreach to homeowners. The program is based on educating contractors through a training session that addresses roof system design, materials, installation and maintenance and how each can contribute significantly to energy savings and protecting the environment.

"For years, the notion of environmentally friendly, energy-efficient roof systems has been directed by government mandates, building codes and building owners," says Bill Good, NRCA's executive vice president. "The SpecRight Program will change this. It will put pertinent information in the hands of roofing contractors so they can help building owners make informed decisions about roof systems that save them money and minimize the burden on the environment."

The contractor training session emphasizes there is no easy solution for all types of buildings. Rather, a number of variables must be taken into account when designing and installing energy-efficient roof systems. These variables include the type of building and its intended use, geographic location, insulation, type of roof system and surface, coatings and ongoing maintenance.

Trained roofing contractors will be able to help building owners make appropriate roof system purchasing decisions by explaining how these factors are related to energy conservation.

The training

The training session stresses proper design, quality materials, proper installation and ongoing maintenance. The technical basis for the training is ASHRAE 90.1, which is required by the International Building Code and many state and local jurisdictions. ASHRAE 90.1 provides a minimum R-value for roof systems and guidelines for the use of reflective roof surfaces.

Participating contractors also will be given a copy of and hands-on instruction for using NRCA's EnergyWise Roof Calculator, which helps determine minimum thermal insulation requirements for roof systems, as well as the energy efficiency and approximate energy usage costs of various roof systems.

Other discussion topics include cool roofs, green roofs, the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program; local codes such as California's Title 24 requirements and Chicago's energy code; and the Environmental Protection Agency's and Department of Energy's ENERGY STAR^® program.

Upon completion of the program, attendees will receive 0.75 continuing-education units; a certificate noting their successful completion of the program; and marketing materials, information booklets and energy checklists to use during sales presentations. To further support the program, at the 2006 International Roofing Expo, NRCA is launching a comprehensive public relations campaign to inform the design and building owner communities about the SpecRight Program and that SpecRight-trained roofing contractors are qualified to deliver sound energy and environmental advice with regard to roof systems.

The first two training sessions will be held in Chicago March 17 and San Francisco April 18. The price for the daylong session is $449 for NRCA members and $629 for nonmembers. If you are interested in attending the program, contact Janice Davis, NRCA's manager of education and risk management, at (800) 323-9545, Ext. 7505.

Moving forward

The SpecRight Program reinforces the concept that the roofing industry can help save energy and contribute to conserving the environment.

"Contractors now can tell their customers their roofing investments make a difference: They help save energy, preserve the environment and will pay for themselves in a reasonable amount of time," Good says.

"Now is the right time for the SpecRight Program," Good adds. "With energy prices on the rise and global warming increasingly evident, we have to ask ourselves how the roofing industry can contribute. The SpecRight Program is the answer."

For more information about the SpecRight Program, log on to www.specright.net.

Ambika Puniani Bailey is editor of Professional Roofing magazine and NRCA's director of communications.