Home > Issue by Date > August 2007

The Right Overhead

Facility managers can conserve energy and protect the environment with intelligent roofing decisions.

By Rob Eiseman

Firestone Building Products (Credit: Firestone Building Products, iStock Photos.)

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Americans spent $1.03 trillion on energy in 2005, more than $200 billion (or 24%) more than they did in 2004. The country’s inventory of commercial and industrial buildings are aging and becoming less energy efficient, and the price of heating and cooling office and retail space is increasing (up to 70% for some).

One important way for facility professionals to realize energy savings is through improvements in the building envelope—the combination of roofs, walls, foundations, windows, and their related components. The relative value of each part of the envelope depends on the building itself and its end use, but in most cases, roof systems not only contribute significantly to energy conservation but can add to an environmental balance as well.

Roofing Benchmarks
For several decades, various factions in the U.S have been working to upgrade performance standards for energy efficient buildings. One of those organizations, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) developed an energy standard, ASHRAE 90.1. That standard includes energy efficiency requirements for roofs that can be met using roof insulation, reflectivity, or a combination of both.

More recently, several additional benchmarks have strengthened the argument for building envelope improvements—particularly in the area of roof systems.

In 2003, the Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress (an organization comprised of industry manufacturers, distributors, and contractors) funded a study by Ducker Worldwide to learn more about opinions and expectations of energy efficient roof systems. Key findings of the study included the following:

• The average life expectancy of a low slope roof system is 17 years.

• The three most important criteria in making a roof buying decision are initial cost, quality of installation, and life cycle cost.

• Almost 75% of building owners consider energy efficiency to be extremely important in roof replacement.

• Ninety percent of facility managers use more roof insulation when replacing or recovering an existing roof system.

EnergyWise Roof Calculator The NRCA’s EnergyWise Roof Calculator is available online for free at www.specright.energywise.net. It can help facility professionals plan reroofing projects like the one pictured here. (Credit: Firestone Building Products.)

Tax Breaks On Roofing
In addition to the aforementioned benefits, the study confirmed that revisions to Section 168 of the Internal Revenue Code—which reduced the depreciation period for nonresidential roof systems from 39 years to 20 years—would lead to greater energy efficiency through investments in roof improvements.

Furthermore, the federal government has enacted the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (the “Act”) in an effort to encourage resource conservation. One aspect of the Act is to provide owners and leaseholders of commercial buildings with a deduction for energy efficient commercial buildings.

This provision was codified in the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 179D and clarified by the IRS in Notice 2006-52. The commercial building deduction under Section 179D allows taxpayers to deduct the cost of energy efficient property installed in commercial buildings.

The maximum deduction allowed is up to $1.80 per square foot for a building that achieves a 50% energy savings target. Even if the building does not meet the 50% savings, the taxpayer may qualify for a deduction up to 60¢ per square foot if it meets certain energy saving targets.

Section 179D specifically relates to commercial buildings placed into service after December 31, 2005 and before January 1, 2008. Eligible buildings include commercial buildings such as: offices, retail spaces, mixed use facilities, warehouses, rental housing of four stories or more, and publicly owned buildings. Renovations on existing buildings are also eligible for a portion for the allowable deduction.

 

Calculating Decisions
With so many financial incentives in place, facilities managers should do whatever it takes to make intelligent, informed roofing decisions based on the most current technology. And that technology has been changing rapidly.

Frankly, there is no simple, single solution for finding an energy efficient system. Instead, a number of variables must be taken into account for every project. [To find out more about selecting the right roofing system, see the accompanying article, “Your Building Will Tell You…”.]

For some buildings, good maintenance and roofing retrofits are the most important step in creating energy efficient systems. Fortunately, reroofing projects are now easier than ever to coordinate and execute. [To find out more about roofing maintenance strategies, read the TFM article, “Lessons In Roof Maintenance” by Angie Basyouni, November 2006, page 18; online at www.todaysfacilitymanager.com/tfm_06_11_news1.php.]

Other buildings may be better served by additional insulation and/or reflective surfaces. In Chicago, for instance, a one story, 10,000 square foot conditioned commercial building with a minimum R-15 roof insulation could save as much as $12,400 when compared to its uninsulated counterpart.

These membranes and roof coatings not only contribute to energy and financial savings, but they can also help reduce ambient air temperature by affecting a building’s heat gain and loss. This can impact several factors, including smog, humidity, and overall air quality in the surrounding neighborhood.

Additionally, emerging environmental trends support the importance of alternative energy generation options like photovoltaic systems and rooftop mounted wind generation. Clearly, the right roofing approach can have multiple benefits in terms of energy conservation and generation.

New Roofing Programs
Based on all these developments, the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) has joined with other roofing industry associations to create the SpecRight Program, an initiative aimed at assisting facility professionals to make informed decisions about energy efficient roof systems. Based on ASHRAE 90.1, the initiative was developed to ensure compliance with most state mandated energy codes.

The SpecRight Program includes three components—education, models, and outreach—to help contractors educate facility managers and designers about the benefits of quality roof systems. Through a broad awareness campaign, the program also will help change attitudes about roofing. More specifically, the program’s message is one of conserving energy and protecting the environment through quality roof system design, installation, materials, and maintenance.

Another NRCA program, the EnergyWise Roof Calculator, is a software application that allows building professionals to construct virtual roof assemblies to evaluate thermal efficiency and estimate energy costs. It contains minimum thermal insulation requirements established by ASHRAE Standard 90.1-1999.

As utility costs rise, it’s no surprise that energy efficiency is a priority for facilities managers. With the potential for a quick return on investment, an effective roof system could be a significant contribution to any serious energy conservation initiative.

Eiseman (rob@eisepr.com) is president of Chicago, IL-based Eiseman Associates, a public relations firm. He has worked with the NRCA, the American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI) Commercial and Residential Roofing Task Force, and the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA).

What energy efficient roofing strategies, if any, have you investigated? Share your thoughts by sending an e-mail to schwartz@groupc.com.

Click here to qualify for a complimentary subscription to Today's Facility Manager Magazine.