Originally Posted by
Bandera
Rather than mentally huddling under imaginary uber-tarps those who are interested in Actual Energy Saving roofing designs refer to:
" ENERGY STAR Certified Roof Products
Although there are inherent benefits in the use of reflective roofing, before selecting a roofing product based on expected energy savings consumers should explore the expected calculated results that can be found on the Department of Energy's "Roof Savings Calculator" website at
Roof Savings Calculator (RSC) - DOE ORNL LBNL CEC EPA. Please remember the Energy Savings that can be achieved with reflective roofing is highly dependent on facility design, insulation used, climatic conditions, building location, and building envelope efficiency. "
Constructive information from your Department of Energy, ...
It's informative that they talk about these roofs "saving energy" on the AC bills rather than keeping the house cooler. I think that further illustrates the unconscious dependence we have on AC. I only bring this up because it so neatly parallels our unconscious dependence on cars. With both, we have come to believe that we can't live without them, when actually we have deliberately (but unconsciously) set up our lives in a way that artificially makes them indispensable.
Personally, I love AC--but I can certainly live comfortably without it in my local climate conditions.