Understanding Cool Roofing Standards

Although some cool roofing standards programs such as Green Globes and LEED may be voluntary, others like the building codes in Atlanta, Chicago and California mandate minimum standards that all buildings must meet.

It is important for roofing contractors to understand cool roofing standards, so here is a list of the major ones:

• California’s Title 24 (the most stringent standards in the nation)
• The Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR program
• U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program
• The Green Building Initiative's Green Globes program (similar to LEED)
• American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
• Local standards — Municipalities nationwide are identifying the benefits of using energy-saving building codes that go beyond the standard code language. Please check with your local government to determine the standards in your region.

One of the reasons it’s hard to be specific about codes is the lack of any unified standard - there is no national energy code. Each state has its own standards. California is definitely leading the way and setting a good example for the rest. The one advantage is that each state can determine codes that make the most sense for their specific climate.

Please also see the March 2009 facilitiesnet.com article by Loren Snyder titled "Cool Roof Standards".

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