Gainesville’s climate can lead to high energy bills, especially when it’s hotter or colder than usual. Cooling or heating tends to be one of the biggest sources of energy usage for commercial buildings, but your roofing can help reduce that. Certain commercial roofing features, such as roof coatings, can help you lower the amount of energy your building uses, which results in reduced energy bills.
Energy-Efficient Materials
Choosing the right materials for your commercial roof can help improve its energy efficiency and lower your energy costs. When you choose roofing materials, keep in mind that lighter roof colors reflect the sun’s heat, while darker colors absorb it. Having lighter-colored shingles or a lighter-colored metal roof on your commercial building can help you maintain a cooler interior throughout summer.
Roof Insulation
Heated or cooled air from inside your building can seep through your roof, which can raise your energy usage. When this happens, you might need to have your heating or cooling system running more often to keep your building interior comfortable. Having insulation installed over your roof can reduce this energy transfer.
Your building might already have insulation, depending on how old it is. Older roofs usually have little or no insulation. Newer roofs often have R-25 or higher insulation installed per code. If your building needs a new roof, especially if it is an older roof without insulation, you should consider investing in adding insulation to the new roof assembly. The initial replacement will cost more, but the long-term savings in heating/cooling costs and overall building performance are often worth the investment.
Roof Coatings
Temperatures in Florida, especially during summer, can cause your commercial roof to overheat. This raises your indoor temperature and energy costs since you need to run your air conditioning longer to keep the interior cool enough. If your roof has reflective granules, these can come off over time. This makes your roof darker, causing it to absorb more of the sun’s heat.
Adding a coating to your roof can help make it more reflective so that your building interior stays cooler when it’s hot out. Roof coatings can help reduce your energy bills, but they might not be a good option if your roof has had severe leaks. The moisture in your commercial roof system can cause bubbling in roof coatings from the inside out.
Contact Perry Roofing Contractors
If you’re looking for ways to lower your energy bills, contact Perry Roofing. Our Gainesville, Jacksonville, Ocala, or St. Augustine Florida roofers can install a more energy-efficient commercial roof or add energy-efficient features to your current roof to help you reduce your energy bills