[Greenbuilding] The Myth about the "Cool White Roof" materials

Clarke Olsen colsen at fairpoint.net
Mon Mar 24 20:56:13 CDT 2014


A dark roof will not absorb any meaningful heat from the brief, shallow sun of our discontent. When the sun beats down for those long summer days, ay, there's the rub! I recently painted a flat, black EPDM roof with brilliantly reflective paint, and the difference was predictable, but still amazing. When I put my hand on the newly painted (but dry) part, it felt like nothing, but the
unpainted area was too hot to touch. 
Clarke Olsen
clarkeolsendesign.com
373 route 203
Spencertown, NY 12165 
USA
518-392-4640
colsen at taconic.net




On Mar 24, 2014, at 7:59 PM, "Bruno M." <brunom1 at telenet.be> wrote:

> If flat roofs are white its assumed that it will safe money because of
> less heat-load in summer, so less electricity needed to cool that house/building. It may also give you good points in LEED etc.
> The story goes it also helps against the Heat Island effect from / in big cities.
> 
> But is this real and a good thing everywhere,
> like also in Seattle or NY ?
> 
> There is indeed an backside on this medal, except for Miami and further south laying area's there is also a winter, a cold season where
> it may be counter productive to have a white roof.
> 
> Its all in this nice article i stumbled on:
> 
> 
> http://www.kenilworth.com/publications/cs/de/201311/files/45.html
> 
> 
> 
> Black is beautiful
> :-)
> Bruno M.
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