Maybe you heard someone talk about how putting on a new roof on a home could save more money in energy costs. How does that happen, and will it save you enough to make it worthwhile? With energy costs already expensive and expected to rise, it makes sense to install a roof that will cut your electric and gas bills.
How Much Energy Does a New Roof Save?
The United States Department of Energy reports that asphalt shingle roofs will increase your home’s energy efficiency by up to 30 percent. When you speak with your Delaware roofing company, request to use the materials with the highest Energy Star rating. Older roofs use outdated materials and building technologies that would save you the most energy costs. In addition, as the roof starts to break down, it leaks more and more energy from the home.
Why a New Roof Will Save You Money?
As a roof gets older, it will lose the ability to keep the energy in the home and keep the hot or cold air out of the home. This will force your HVAC system to work harder to keep you comfortable. Let’s look at the winter season when the snow sits on the roof. During this time, you could find yourself with extra weight on the roof. An older roof will become more vulnerable to heavy weight than a newer roof. The extra weight can, in fact, collapse your home’s roof. Roof collapses can kill or severely injure someone.
Modernized Shingles
Manufacturers make modern shingles from fiberglass that they cover in asphalt and granules. In the past, they made them from asphalt and cellulose, which is a material made from plants. This was a great recyclable material, but it wasn’t the most durable. Modern shingles protect the roof better from strong winds, and they increased the metal content to protect you from the elements.
How to Get the Most Energy-Efficient Roof
Before you call the best roofing company in Delaware, you should first understand how to make your roof the most energy efficient. Good roofing with energy efficiency will go beyond the shingles. You need to do multiple things if you want a roof that will truly cut energy costs, and this includes:
- Insulate the attic
- Choose the right shingle color
- Install solar shingles
- Ensure that it has good ventilation
- Use energy-efficient roofing materials
Insulate the Attic
You want to insulate the attic because it will stop the hot or cool air from escaping through the roof. Heating and cooling costs account for 50 to 70 percent of your energy bill, so you want to take action to keep it in the home. Good insulation prevents gradual damage to the home from moisture. The US Department of Energy reports that a well-insulated attic will save you anywhere from 10 to 50 percent on your energy bill.
Choose the Right Shingle Color
Light-colored roofs absorb less heat through the roof in the summer months and lower your air conditioning bill. Cool roofs will use a lighter color to reflect the heat away from the home. Light roof shingles work best in a warm climate, whereas dark roof shingles will give you more of an advantage in a cooler climate. In a climate like Delaware where you have snow, darker roofs can absorb more heat to melt the snow off the roof easier.
Install Solar Shingles
Solar shingles can lower energy costs by as much as 40 to 60 percent. It takes advantage of a renewable energy source, and they act more durable and energy efficient. Solar shingles are thin but flexible panels that you can install on the roof, and they give you the chance to generate your own electricity.
Ensure That It Has Good Ventilation
Before you choose a roof to lower your energy bill, check to see that it has good ventilation. Good ventilation, especially over the summer season, lets the heat escape to keep your cooling bill affordable. At the same time, good ventilation ensures that your insulation doesn’t lose its R-value, which prevents heat transfer.
Use Energy-Efficient Roofing Materials
Speak with your roofing company to best understand your options. The modern world gives us more energy-efficient materials than ever before. Along with the Energy Star rating, check the SRI rating, which is about the material’s ability to reflect the sun and how much heat gets absorbed. For low-sloped roofs, you want an SRI rating of 65 or 50 after three years of use. For more slanted roofs, you want an SRI rating of 25 and a minimum of 15 after three years. Having a higher rating means that it can reflect the sun better, which will impact the monthly energy bill.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, we looked at the roof as an entire system. Everything from the shingles and air vents to the insulation and roof color will play a role in your energy savings. If you’d like to get the most energy-efficient roof, call RGB Construction now. We have the knowledge and expertise to ensure that you receive a roof with the most energy efficiency. In general, even the regular roofs of today will offer better energy efficiency than the old roofs of the past. If you’d like to learn more, give us a call at 856-264-9093.
