EcoRenovator  

Go Back   EcoRenovator > Improvements > Conservation
Advanced Search
 


Blog 60+ Home Energy Saving Tips Recent Posts Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 07-26-10, 03:47 PM   #1
Daox
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 5,525
Thanks: 1,162
Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts
Default Painted white roof drops house temps 8-10 degrees

I just saw this over on builditsolar. This guy got an amazing difference from painting his roof white. I'd never even be hot in my house if I did this!

Experiment With White Roof Cooling Effect

Quote:
House temperatures with regular roof and AC OFF......... 87-92F.
WHITE ROOF (and ac OFF)........ 79-82F.

ATTIC temperatures with regular roof.................... 120 - 140F
WHITE roof ................... 90 - 97F .


Attic temperatures were reduced by about 30 to 40 degrees.... and house temperatures were reduced about 8 or 10 degrees.

__________________
Current project -
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
&
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Daox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-10, 05:05 PM   #2
tasdbois
Lurking Renovator
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Mirabel, QC
Posts: 28
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

Interesting. I wonder how less visually intrusive alternatives compare. Say a radiant barrier with increased attic airflow.
tasdbois is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-10, 05:55 PM   #3
Daox
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 5,525
Thanks: 1,162
Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts
Default

Yeah, I'd imagine you could achieve the same thing with an attic fan or two (possibly solar powered).
__________________
Current project -
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
&
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Daox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-10, 06:20 PM   #4
TimJFowler
Apprentice EcoRenovator
 
TimJFowler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 184
Thanks: 9
Thanked 12 Times in 11 Posts
Default

According to the FSEC (Florida State Energy Center) a radiant barrier in the attic can reduce home cooling needs by +/- 9% FSEC-CR-1231-01. A reflective white roof can reduce cooling needs by 18-35% FSEC-CR-1220-00. Those improvements include results for several homes that already had powered attic ventilation.

Thanks to BuilditSolar.com Passive Cooling Techniques for both links.

I've been very pleased with our cool roof (not white, but a good Solar Reflectance Index). We're midway through our second summer with the cool roof and it has made a big difference in our comfort level. I'm still looking to improve our home's passive cooling, but the roof definitely helped during a recent heatwave. We're Having a Heat Wave, a Tropical Heat Wave | EcoNewMexico.com
__________________
- DIY Adventures in Applied Sustainability -

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Last edited by TimJFowler; 07-26-10 at 06:29 PM.. Reason: added note about attic ventilation
TimJFowler is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to TimJFowler For This Useful Post:
Patrick (07-26-10)
Old 07-27-10, 08:00 AM   #5
tasdbois
Lurking Renovator
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Mirabel, QC
Posts: 28
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

To be fair we need to look at the average cooling energy reduction data points, not just peak.

Radiant barrier (where thermostat temp was left unchanged between seasons): 19.7%, 11.3%, 16%, 27.2%, 5.3%, 8.4%, 0%.

Reflective white roofing: 18.5%, 21.5%, 24%.

Those two studies can't be used to compare the validity of both methods. The study on radiant barriers was performed on actual homes with people living in it with various insulations levels (R-9 to R-30) and ducking systems. The roofing study used 6 identical test homes.
tasdbois is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-10, 02:10 PM   #6
TimJFowler
Apprentice EcoRenovator
 
TimJFowler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 184
Thanks: 9
Thanked 12 Times in 11 Posts
Default

Admittedly, the two studies aren't perfectly comparable. But, I think one can see the difference in heat reduction trends between a solar reflective roof and a radiant barrier.

If the ultimate goal is to reduce solar heat gain in an attic I think that a solar reflective roof surface would likely perform better than a "standard" roof surface with an underlying radiant heat barrier. The logic being that it's better to reflect solar heat from outside the roof structure (reflective cool roof) rather than from the inside (radiant barrier). That said, I'm certainly open to data to the contrary.

Of course, if you have a new(ish) roof surface a radiant barrier would probably be more appealing. But, if you need a new roof then choosing one with a high Solar Reflectance Index shouldn't cost any extra.

Here is a link to a manufacturer's metal roofing color charts with SRI ratings - Metal Sales - Colors (I have no affiliation with the manufacturer). I think it's interesting to compare the range of roof colors to their SRI. The color charts show that a cool roof doesn't need to be white.

FWIW,
Tim
__________________
- DIY Adventures in Applied Sustainability -

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
TimJFowler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-10, 03:22 PM   #7
Daox
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 5,525
Thanks: 1,162
Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts
Default

Since you have a newer metal roof, can you comment on the changes you have noticed in the summer?
__________________
Current project -
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
&
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Daox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-10, 12:58 PM   #8
TimJFowler
Apprentice EcoRenovator
 
TimJFowler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 184
Thanks: 9
Thanked 12 Times in 11 Posts
Default

Unfortunately, this is mostly anecdotal as I wasn't tracking temperatures inside and outside the house as I do now. So, take this for whatever it's worth.

In the summer of 2003 we had a heatwave with high temperatures in the mid to upper '90's (record high of 99°F). Daily Averages for Santa Fe, NM (87505) - weather.com When I got home from work the house would be quite hot and I would open windows and use fans to vent the hot air (no AC or swamp cooler). The house would slowly cool as the outside temperature dropped. Often, I couldn't fall asleep until after midnight and slept with either no covers or at most one sheet on the bed due to the heat.

Flash forward to the heatwave of 2010 Monthly Weather Forecast for Santa Fe, NM (87505) - weather.com. We have a new "galvalum" propanel "cool" roof, cleared eave vents, a full ridge vent, and R-50 of cellulose insulation in the attic. We still use fans to vent hot air from the house (still no AC or swamp cooler), but now I work from home and watch the temps more closely. We've had days that have been just as hot, but the house doesn't heat up as much and it cools down more quickly. I also haven't had any sweaty and sleepless nights from the heat.

According to our indoor/outdoor thermometer the max. outdoor temp. has been 102°F and max. indoor temp. has been 85°F. While 85°F is warm the house cools down pretty quickly with fans as sun sets and the outdoor temp drops.

While I wish I had better data I am much more comfortable and I don't like the heat any more than I ever have.

FWIW,
Tim
__________________
- DIY Adventures in Applied Sustainability -

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
TimJFowler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-04-10, 05:09 AM   #9
bradford108
Lurking Renovator
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 6
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

Regardless of which one is better and the accuracy and validity of the tests, each method should be taken into consideration. Thanks for sharing this Daox.
bradford108 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-10, 11:25 AM   #10
NeilBlanchard
Journeyman EcoRenovator
 
NeilBlanchard's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Maynard, MA Eaarth
Posts: 383
Thanks: 78
Thanked 39 Times in 32 Posts
Default

The effect is due to the albedo of the surface. An albedo number close to 1 excludes virtually 100% of the heat, and lower albedo numbers closer to 0 absorb virtually all the heat.

NeilBlanchard is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Tags
cooling, paint, roof

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:21 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Ad Management by RedTyger
Inactive Reminders By Icora Web Design