Energy Efficient Roofing Products — Cool Roofs and Emissivity
CRRC Rated Roof Products
CRRC-rated roof products refer to roofing materials that have been rated by the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) — an independent, non-profit organization that maintains a credible and unbiased system for rating the solar reflectance and thermal emittance of roofing products.
Solar reflectance and thermal emittance are crucial for determining a roof's "coolness." Here's a breakdown of what this means:
- Solar Reflectance: This is the ability of a roof surface to reflect sunlight, including the visible, infrared, and ultraviolet wavelengths. High solar reflectance reduces the amount of heat absorbed by a roof.
- Thermal Emittance: This is the ability of a roof surface to emit absorbed heat. A material with high thermal emittance can release a significant portion of the absorbed heat rather than transferring it into the building.
Why CRRC Ratings Matter
- Energy Efficiency: Cool roofs can significantly reduce energy costs by decreasing the need for air conditioning. They reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat than standard roofs.
- Urban Heat Island Effect: In urban areas, CRRC-rated products can help mitigate the urban heat island effect, where built-up areas are hotter than nearby rural areas.
- Environmental Impact: By reducing energy consumption, cool roofs can also lower greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution.
CRRC-rated roof products are often used in green building practices and can be a requirement in certain building codes, especially in areas with warmer climates. When choosing roofing materials, a CRRC rating is an important consideration for those looking to enhance energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.
A Cool Roof — What Is That?
Highlights from a conversation with Jeffrey Steuben, Executive Director, and Sarah Schneider, Deputy Director, of the Cool Roof Rating Council:
The CRRC is a nonprofit organization created in 1998 to implement a third-party product rating system for roofing products — a way to help homeowners, policy makers and builders understand how they can increase the energy efficiency of a house just by the type of roof on it.
At its most simple, a cool roof is a roof that can reflect heat energy from the sun and re-emit energy that's absorbed back into the environment. People might most easily think of a bright white roof, but there have been developments in "cool colors" that look the same as a standard color while being more reflective in the infrared spectrum. There are metal roofs on the market in a whole host of colors that use reflective pigments to help reflect solar radiation away and keep the building cooler.
Homeowners should think about cool roofs because they can have a really positive impact on energy bills and on comfort — especially during hot summer months, and even in homes without air conditioning. There's often one opportunity in a homeowner's lifetime to replace a roof, so it pays to be thoughtful about the long-term benefits: lower utility bills, a more comfortable interior, and a contribution toward reducing energy demand, reliance on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.
CRRC Rated Products Directory
For the most current version of the Directory, please see the CRRC Rated Products Directory.
*CRRC Rapid Ratings: These are interim laboratory-aged values that simulate weathered values. These values will be replaced with the measured three-year aged values upon completion of the weathering process. SRI values calculated using Rapid Ratings may change once the aged rating replaces the interim rating.