Title: The green roof and energy performance : rooftop data analyzed
Abstract: Green roofs and highly reflective roofing products can lower rooftop temperatures. This paper described an experiment that investigated various roof technologies designed to maximize building performance and reduce energy usage and related costs. A fully instrumented roof in Minnesota was used to evaluate an extensive green roof; white reflective roof coatings with a PVC membrane; and a black EPDM. Each section of the roof was instrumented to measure surface and ambient air temperatures. Separate HVAC units were also instrumented on each section of the roof to measure energy consumption and temperature performance. Heat transfer through the roofing systems and energy usage of the HVAC units was then used to evaluate the energy performance of each system. Linear heat transfer equations were used to calculate the heat transfer through each roofing system in both winter and summer. Results indicated that there are several direct benefits in using cool roofing, which include energy savings, cost savings, and reduced impacts on the environment. Cool roofing was able to reduce HVAC unit demand by lowering the temperature of the rooftop air entering the unit. The cool roof materials reduced heat gain by lowering the surface temperatures of the roofs. While results showed that reflective coatings and reflective membranes contribute to advanced energy performance of buildings, green roofs may be more advantageous in the summer months. 6 refs., 1 tab., 16 figs.
Publication Year: 2005
Publication Date: 2005-07-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 7
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