Your roof plays a critical role in protecting your home from the elements. It impacts the overall curb appeal of the exterior as well. When installing a new roof, an asphalt shingle roof can potentially help you save on energy costs. Especially when using COOL asphalt shingles.  

Our roofing pros at Goodfriend Roofing explain why choosing COOL asphalt shingles for your new roof can have potential energy-saving benefits for your Florida home.

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How the Sun Affects Your Roof

First, let’s discuss how your roof reacts to the heat from the sun.  

Three main things that happen when the sun’s radiation hits the surface of an asphalt shingle roof:

• Absorption: Some heat is absorbed by the roof and then transferred into your home.  

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• ‍Solar Reflectance: Your roof reflects a portion of the sun’s energy and shingles with a higher solar reflectance allow less heat to transfer into your home.  

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• Thermal Emittance: Your roof radiates some of the heat that is absorbed back into the atmosphere. Shingles with a higher thermal emittance will also allow less heat to be transferred into your home. Nice to help cool things down inside too.

The type of shingles that you have on your roof impacts the temperature inside your home, and therefore has an impact on your energy bills!  

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Absorbing Heat

If your attic is not properly insulated or ventilated, absorbed heat can increase the temperature inside your home.  

If you notice increased energy consumption and higher energy costs, you may want to have a contractor from Goodfriend Roofing come out to inspect your roof to ensure that it has proper ventilation and insulation.  

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Solar Reflectance

As the Florida sun shines down on your roof, it delivers visible and invisible light waves and what your roof does with reflecting the sunlight determines its solar reflectance. The more light waves that are bounced back into the atmosphere, the higher the solar reflectance of your shingles.  

Solar reflectance ranges between 0.0 to 1.0 with 1.0 being 100% reflectance with no absorption. Asphalt shingles with high solar reflectance are considered COOL shingles and can achieve ENERGY STAR certification.  

To qualify for ENERGY STAR certification asphalt shingles must meet the following criteria:

• A solar reflectance of at least 0.25
• A solar reflectance of at least 0.15 over three years.  

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Thermal Emittance

As your roof absorbs radiation from the sun, it heats up and some of this radiated heat is dispersed into the surrounding atmosphere. This is called thermal emittance.  

Thermal emittance ranges from 0.0 to 1.0 and the higher the number, the less heat is transferred into your home.  

When choosing shingles for your home, keep our climate in mind. Shingles with a high thermal emittance are a better choice for hot sunny regions like Tampa Bay and shingles with low thermal emittance are better for areas with cooler temperatures.  

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What Are “COOL” Shingles?

COOL shingles are engineered to have higher solar reflectance and thermal emittance properties that can help reduce your home’s cooling load on hot, sunny Florida days.  

This roofing material uses solar reflecting granules to help decrease the amount of heat that is transferred into your home from the sun. This keeps the interior of your home cooler and reduces the strain on your air conditioning system.

In addition to being more energy-efficient, COOL shingles can be good for Mother Earth too. Here are some key benefits for the environment:

• The EPA is researching how to reduce radiant atmospheric heat in between buildings in cities (called urban heat islands) with COOL shingles.  
• Homes and businesses use less energy to keep their interiors comfortable with COOL shingles.
• Less energy usage leads to fewer power plant emissions like carbon dioxide.  

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COOL Classification

For asphalt shingles to be classified as “COOL” they need to have a Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) rating for thermal emittance and solar reflectance and meet values defined by specific energy codes.  

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Contact our professional roofers at Goodfriend Roofing for an initial COOL roofing shingle consultation for your Tampa Bay home!

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COOL Shingle Colors

Generally, COOL asphalt shingles are lighter in hue like:

• White
• Light Gray
• Light Tan

Many lighter tone shingles are designated with an ENERGY STAR label, though there are darker COOL asphalt shingles available that meet various COOL energy codes specific to each state. Our expert roofers will help you find the right color to suit your energy needs and home design aesthetic.  

Get financed: Getting Your New Roof Financed Through PACE Financing

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Start Your COOL Roofing Project with Goodfriend

Ready to make your home more energy-efficient? Whether you are installing a completely new roof, or are embarking on a reroofing project, your friends at Goodfriend Roofing can help.  

We offer a range of asphalt shingles that meet various levels of COOL roofing requirements. We have a great selection of colors to complement your home’s exterior. Plus, you may qualify for financing through Florida’s PACE program to upgrade to an energy-efficient, COOL roof.  

Ready to get started? Call Goodfriend roofing for a shingle roof estimate today— (813) 579-5789!

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