Metal’s Benefits

Americans spend about $40 billion annually to air condition buildings – which equates to about one sixth of all electricity generated in this country. Studies conducted by the Cool Metal Roofing Coalition and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have shown that energy efficient metal roofing materials with Energy Star certified high reflectance paint systems can save you up to 40% on cooling costs when compared to typical asphalt shingles.

Your typical dark asphalt shingle absorbs most of the solar radiation that hits it, consequently making your attic a very hot place during the summer months. On the contrary, Energy Star certified metal roofing materials works by reflecting a high percentage of the sun’s energy back into the atmosphere, lowering attic temperatures and subsequent cooling loads making your roof energy efficient.

Union offers several metal roof colors that are Energy Star certified. In order to meet Energy Star criteria, the energy efficient metal roof has to have a total solar reflectance of at least 25%, which means that the energy efficient metal roof reflects 25% of the sun’s energy. In general, lighter colors have better reflectivity, with colors such as white having a reflectivity that exceeds 60% making your roof energy efficient. Furthermore, Energy Star certified metal roofs have to maintain a reflectance of at least 15% after three years of real-world exposure testing. The higher the reflectance of the Energy Star certified metal roofs, the more money you can potentially save. You can find out which metal roof colors are Energy Star certified by checking out the “Colors & Performance Grades” section on the home page.