Home > Issue by Date > February 2008

Beyond The Call Of Duty

With new energy efficient strategies, it is time roofing contributed more than protection from the elements.

By Jillian Ruffino

Tecta America Corp. Photo: Tecta America Corp.

It doesn't take the astute mind of a facility manager (fm) to understand the basic purpose of roofing. Every facility needs this structure to keep water out of interior spaces and to provide protection from other damaging climate conditions.

But what if roofs could be doing more? What if they could also reduce energy consumption or produce electricity at a low cost?

For those organizations looking to get additional benefits from their roofs, there are several options in the marketplace that can equip roofs to accomplish even more for facilities. Today's roofs can be designed for energy efficiency and, in some cases, can lower a facility's costs by lessening HVAC needs. In the years to come, fms may see roofs supplying energy captured from the sun through newer, less expensive solar technologies.

Mark S. Graham is the associate executive director of technical services for the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), headquartered in Rosemont, IL. He says, “The roof is being asked to do more today than keep water out of the building. It is being asked to help out considerably with heating and cooling costs, or it is attempting to address different issues such as urban heat islands.”

Mark A. Gaulin, chief operating officer of Tecta America in Skokie, IL, agrees: “Today we're talking about cool roofing, highly reflective roofing, energy efficiency, more insulation and R-value protection, and systems that can generate electricity, such as building integrated photovoltaics.”

A New Perspective

The roofing industry is making an irrevocable shift from traditional thinking about this important building element. Drew Ballensky, general manager of Saginaw, MI-based Duro-Last Roofing, Inc., explains, “A lot of traditional roof systems are either black built-up tar and gravel or black rubber. These materials have a tendency to get very hot in the summer; they can reach up to 200°F on a hot day.”

Obviously, if a roof surface is hot, the building is going to become warmer, which, in turn, increases cooling costs. Ballensky recommends a cool roof surface (such as a reflective roof), which may reduce the surface temperature on the top of buildings. In fact, with the proper reflective coating, a roof's temperature may become only 10°F to 15°F warmer than the ambient air temperature, a comparatively small increase.

Gaulin explains, “For fms considering reflective or cool roofing, they should keep in mind that these strategies can lower costs by lowering the actual temperature on buildings 30% to 40% in the heat of summer.”

“It turns out,” Ballensky continues, “reflective roof systems not only keep your building cooler, but they also last longer. This is critical now with the way energy costs have gone up.”

His company manufactures the Cool Zone roofing system, which uses an ENERGY STAR® labeled membrane to reflect more than 86% of the sun's rays. The system may also reduce building energy consumption up to 40%. (For a detailed analysis of how this system, or other ENERGY STAR labeled products may contribute to energy savings, visit the Roofing Comparison Calculator at http://www.roofcalc.com, and click on “Savings Calculator.”)

Cool roofing techniques may also improve insulation performance by cutting back on summer heat gain. Today, some experts are calling for more insulation than what is traditionally found in roofs.

Graham offers this advice: “If you are in a re-roofing situation, one obvious strategy would be to insulate. It is becoming increasingly popular for buildings to insulate beyond the existing standards.”

 

Insulation is helpful, because it conserves energy by reducing the heat loss or gain of a facility. Other benefits include increased occupant comfort and the elimination of condensation on roofs in cold climates.

An important aspect of insulation is R-value, which is a measure of a material's ability to hinder heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more likely it is that insulation is working effectively.

Considering Roofing Options

There are several issues for fms to consider before installing a new roof or beginning a re-roofing project. For example: Where is the facility located? What is the climate of this area? Does this facility have high energy costs that need to be addressed? What does this

roof need to accomplish for the facility?

Duro-Last Roofing When facility managers take a closer look at their present roof system, they should question whether the roof is accomplishing enough for the facility. Could it be doing more, such as contributing to the reduction of rising energy costs? Photo: Duro-Last Roofing, inc.

Choosing materials for roofs can be an intuitive process. Graham explains, “Geography, climate, and building usage are big issues. For example, in northern climates where facilities deal with ice and snow for large portions of the year, making a roof reflective to save on cooling energy costs is probably not the best idea. Adding insulation in colder climates probably makes more sense, since this strategy can help in both heating and cooling situations. But for those further south, reflectivity is a natural approach to take.”

Another climate issue involves urban heat islands, which are metropolitan areas that are significantly warmer than their surroundings. This phenomenon is caused by the greater heat retention of building materials like concrete and asphalt. In this case, strategies

such as implementing reflective or cooling elements should be considered.

Fms always need to factor in the economic impact of installing any new components. It is unwise to incorporate more expensive materials if they do not contribute to

saving on energy costs in the long run. Fortunately, it may be that energy efficient roofing choices

do not necessarily cost more, and they may help roofs contribute to the energy needs of the building.

Graham says, “The interesting thing about roofing is that it is one of the only elements of the building where it is possible to get paybacks. Fms really don't experience this with doors or walls or other components. If you design the roof properly, you can get heating and cooling cost savings.”

The period of time between roof installation and payback may be getting smaller. In the past, according to Graham, it was acceptable for roofs to have a payback period of seven to 10 years. (The federal government's depreciation schedule on commercial roofing is 39.5 years.) Within the last few years, though, members of the roofing industry have moved toward the expectation of a dramatically closer payback time of 31/2 years.

When creating a buget, fms must consider both the initial costs as well as the entire lifecycle of the roof. Ballensky explains, “One of the big things to look at is how long the building expects to have that roof. Is the facility saving money now, but it's going to cost more later? Or are you getting a roof system that has very good longevity and doesn't require a lot of maintenance?”

During the purchasing process for new roofs or new roofing elements, it is important to find those products that have upfront costs that make sense once long-term performance and maintenance needs are considered. These factors will ultimately matter most to fms.

Photovoltaic Future

There is a new wave of exciting roofing technologies on the horizon. These technologies will take today's ideas about energy savings one step further. They will serve

not only to reduce consumption, but also to produce energy for a facility.

Photovoltaic (PV) cells convert light from the sun to produce electricity. Energy created by PV cells has long been available through the use of solar panels on roofs. The expense of this technology, however, has traditionally been prohibitive for many facilities. New PV advancements may make them more accessible and easier to install in the coming years.

Looking into the future, Graham predicts, “Probably the big breakthrough we will see in the future will be related to photovoltaics. We're looking forward to integrated PV within roof systems.”

For example, PV cells may be laminated to roofing systems. Some research labs are looking into creating PV coating, which could be on the market within the next few years. (See “Sustainable Energy Production,” by Tom Condon, January 2008, for more about new solar technologies and product development. Found online at TodaysFacilityManager.com/tfm_08_01_factech.php)

Ballensky continues, “The companies that produce these systems are trying to make them more efficient, since they are pretty costly right now. You want them to be as efficient as possible so they can have a quicker payback.”

Some PV companies are working with roofing product manufacturers (such as Duro-Last) to marry PV systems with membranes, so fms can install a PV system that goes onto the roof along with the membrane. Overall, most experts see PV as a technology that is becoming increasingly easy to install, less expensive, and possibly beneficial to facilities.

Roofing By The Numbers

There are a lot of numbers involved with roofing—the years before facilities see a payback from roofing investments, the depreciation schedule for a roof, and the costs associated with installing and maintaining a roof system are all part of the complex math equation that defines the roof purchasing experience.

Another figure involved—and one that often bears a lot of weight—is the roof's warranty. There are, however, some common misconceptions about this coverage that insiders in the roofing industry would like to dispel.

Gaulin says, “Some facility managers believe that roofing is strictly driven by a warranty, and that the warranty will cover them under all circumstances. Clearly that is not true.”

With his technical experience, Graham adds this note of caution: “Probably the largest misconception about roofing is there is some research or technology related to the roof system warranties that you get from manufacturers and contractors. However, they are largely set as a marketing incentive by both contractors and manufacturers.”

Graham points out that it is not uncommon to see a product that has only been available for a few years with a warranty up to 50 years. This number has no scientific basis.

Whether installing a new roof or updating the elements of an existing structure, there are multiple options for fms to consider. With today's new roofing technologies and strategies designed to increase energy efficiency in buildings, fms will need to wait and see how these components will play out in the years to come. The current departure from traditional, somewhat limiting beliefs about roofing should open up new possibilities for reducing cost and consumption in buildings.

This article was based on interviews with Ballensky, Gaulin, and Graham.

How is your facility's roof contributing to energy efficiency? Send comments to jruffino@groupc.com.

 

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