A hot Summer climate means homeowners must find ways to control cooling costs.
To learn if metal roofs save money, it helps to know how they work. Roof choices play a big role in home energy use. Metal roofs, especially aluminum, can provide significant efficiency advantages over asphalt shingles. Two important factors make metal superior.
A metal roof’s reflective surface bounces a large percentage of sunlight away before the heat penetrates a home. This is measured by two factors:
- Solar reflectivity : The percentage of solar energy reflected away on initial contact.
- Thermal emissivity: The percentage of absorbed heat that gets released as infrared radiation.
Both are important, but solar reflection has the greatest impact on efficiency. Some metals, like bare galvanized steel, have lower emissivity. But coatings can increase emissivity substantially.
Overall, metal’s solar reflectance is far higher than dark shingles that absorb sunlight and retain heat. This leads to major cooling savings, especially with reflective metals like aluminum and white-painted steel.
Reduced Attic Heat: How Lowering Your House Temperature with a Metal Roof Saves Money
That reflected sunlight never converts to heat in the home. This directly lowers attic temperatures. What heat does get absorbed by metal also radiates away faster thanks to thermal emissivity.
Asphalt shingles soak up sunlight and transfer the heat to the attic space. Even with proper attic ventilation, AC systems must work harder to remove that built-up warmth. A reflective metal roof thus cuts electricity demand. A metal roof provides long-term durability and weather protection as well. Our metal roofs are rated for category 5 Hurricanes
Long-Term Energy Savings
Owners also avoid the periodic costs of reroofing every 15-25 years with shingles. When accounting for replacement, metal roofs provide even more lifetime savings. They are a wise energy investment.
Fighting Urban Heat Islands
On a larger scale, metal roofs can help reduce urban heat islands in Florida cities. This effect occurs when vast dark rooftops and paved surfaces cause ambient temperatures to rise, increasing cooling demands across the local area.
White or reflective colored metal roofing combats heat islands by limiting heat absorption from the sun. Widespread use would provide citywide efficiency benefits. Many cities now offer rebates for installing reflective roofs.
Do Metal Roofs Save Money? Yes! So, What Now?
For unmatched energy performance and savings, metal roofing outshines asphalt shingles. If you want to control energy costs for years to come, set up a free Home Efficiency Evaluation right now by clicking the link below.
With a quality metal roof, homeowners gain peace of mind knowing their family, home, and bank account are well protected from Florida’s heat and storms.
