White Roofs Slows Global Warming and Saves Money
Written By: Jefferey Astrein
Friday, 14th of August 2009
As global warming continues to be a worldwide issue, there may be solutions other than alternative energy sources. Biodiesel, ethanol, solar panels, and wind turbines are great alternatives compared to oil and coal which pollute our environment. All sources of alternative energy that reduce the amount of pollution emitted into our environment have advantages and disadvantages, such as resource availability for fuels and geographical locations for wind turbines. In addition to alternative energy, there are other resources people can take advantage of: white roofs and white roads. Many people have negative feelings towards white roofs because black roofs have been the norm for houses across the country due to the beauty of a house. While white roofs may make some houses and buildings appear ugly, there are several advantages to white roofs which ancient civilizations knew well before us.
In Ancient Greece, builders used light colored materials on buildings due to their knowledge that light colored materials kept buildings cool during the warm summer months. Light colored roofs and building remained a norm among Greek society as well as other civilizations until the invention of air conditioning. Black roofs became popular in society mainly due to the invention of air conditioning but they are now a contributor to the greenhouse effect (global warming) as well as energy consumption (Barry).
During the summer on a hot sunny day, black roofs can heat up to temperatures over 160 degrees Fahrenheit, while white roofs get only slightly hotter than the actual air temperature (Barry). This is because the color black, absorbs all sunlight which makes things hotter. The sunlight absorbed by black roofs and roads is released as infrared radiation (heat) which has a longer wavelength than visible light. Most of the infrared radiation released from the roofs and roads gets absorbed by greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and water vapor (H2O) in earth's atmosphere. Only a small amount of infrared radiation escapes back into space due to its long wavelength. The infrared radiation absorbed by the greenhouse gases is released as heat, which is redistributed throughout earth's atmosphere and is responsible for global warming. Greenhouse gases are important for keeping the earth warm, but human activity has released an excess amount of greenhouse gases especially CO2 (West).
White roofs act similar to polar ice caps and clouds which regulate earth's temperature and reflect sunlight back into space. White roofs reflect sunlight and keep buildings cooler than those with black roofs. This helps customers save 15-40% on air conditioning costs while paying slightly more during the winter months. Because of this, white roofs are the fastest growing segment in the roofing industry. They may get dirtier and show more scuff marks than black roofs but they have longer warranties and are no more expensive than black roofs (Barry).
For years commercial buildings have had black rubber roofs which have short life-spans requiring frequent repair work. Duro-Last lasts much longer than black rubber roofs and is more durable requiring less maintenance. Duro-last material is ideal for flat or low-sloped roofs and can be installed quicker, safer, and quieter than black and rubber roofs. Reasons for why people should purchase Duro-Last white roofs instead of black and rubber roofs are listed below:
* Extremely durable material
* Leak-proof
* Resistant to chemicals, fire, grease, high winds, punctures, and extreme temperatures
* Minimal labor, on-site labor intensive seaming
* 15-20 year warranties
* Reflects sunlight
* Reduces urban heat island effect
* Saves energy and money
Replacing black roofs in urban areas with white roofs can eliminate their heat island effect. This is due to the fact that white roofs reflect sunlight. The U.S. Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, a physicist who supports the idea of white roofs, claims that whitening all of the world's roofs and roads will have the same effect on global warming as removing all of the world's cars for 11 years. Many environmentalists support Chu's idea in addition to claims that he underestimates the effect whitening of the world's roofs and roads. Those who claim that Chu underestimates the whitening effect believe that whitening the world's roofs and roads will reduce CO2 by 44 billion tons which is equivalent to removing all of the world's cars for 18 years (Johnson). This may seem like a perfect solution to global warming; but it is only a temporary solution for global warming which is not realistic in today's world. It can indeed help eliminate or lower an area's heat island effect but white roofs do not prevent greenhouse gases from entering the earth's atmosphere. For this reason, the world needs alternative energy.
In Ancient Greece, builders used light colored materials on buildings due to their knowledge that light colored materials kept buildings cool during the warm summer months. Light colored roofs and building remained a norm among Greek society as well as other civilizations until the invention of air conditioning. Black roofs became popular in society mainly due to the invention of air conditioning but they are now a contributor to the greenhouse effect (global warming) as well as energy consumption (Barry).
During the summer on a hot sunny day, black roofs can heat up to temperatures over 160 degrees Fahrenheit, while white roofs get only slightly hotter than the actual air temperature (Barry). This is because the color black, absorbs all sunlight which makes things hotter. The sunlight absorbed by black roofs and roads is released as infrared radiation (heat) which has a longer wavelength than visible light. Most of the infrared radiation released from the roofs and roads gets absorbed by greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and water vapor (H2O) in earth's atmosphere. Only a small amount of infrared radiation escapes back into space due to its long wavelength. The infrared radiation absorbed by the greenhouse gases is released as heat, which is redistributed throughout earth's atmosphere and is responsible for global warming. Greenhouse gases are important for keeping the earth warm, but human activity has released an excess amount of greenhouse gases especially CO2 (West).
White roofs act similar to polar ice caps and clouds which regulate earth's temperature and reflect sunlight back into space. White roofs reflect sunlight and keep buildings cooler than those with black roofs. This helps customers save 15-40% on air conditioning costs while paying slightly more during the winter months. Because of this, white roofs are the fastest growing segment in the roofing industry. They may get dirtier and show more scuff marks than black roofs but they have longer warranties and are no more expensive than black roofs (Barry).
For years commercial buildings have had black rubber roofs which have short life-spans requiring frequent repair work. Duro-Last lasts much longer than black rubber roofs and is more durable requiring less maintenance. Duro-last material is ideal for flat or low-sloped roofs and can be installed quicker, safer, and quieter than black and rubber roofs. Reasons for why people should purchase Duro-Last white roofs instead of black and rubber roofs are listed below:
* Extremely durable material
* Leak-proof
* Resistant to chemicals, fire, grease, high winds, punctures, and extreme temperatures
* Minimal labor, on-site labor intensive seaming
* 15-20 year warranties
* Reflects sunlight
* Reduces urban heat island effect
* Saves energy and money
Replacing black roofs in urban areas with white roofs can eliminate their heat island effect. This is due to the fact that white roofs reflect sunlight. The U.S. Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, a physicist who supports the idea of white roofs, claims that whitening all of the world's roofs and roads will have the same effect on global warming as removing all of the world's cars for 11 years. Many environmentalists support Chu's idea in addition to claims that he underestimates the effect whitening of the world's roofs and roads. Those who claim that Chu underestimates the whitening effect believe that whitening the world's roofs and roads will reduce CO2 by 44 billion tons which is equivalent to removing all of the world's cars for 18 years (Johnson). This may seem like a perfect solution to global warming; but it is only a temporary solution for global warming which is not realistic in today's world. It can indeed help eliminate or lower an area's heat island effect but white roofs do not prevent greenhouse gases from entering the earth's atmosphere. For this reason, the world needs alternative energy.