Ellen Thorp

Climate zone is not a footnote in the design process. It is a primary driver of material selection. In hotter parts of the country where there are more cooling-degree days — ASHRAE climate zones (ACZ) 1–2 and sometimes zone 3… Read More

Image credit: Hutchinson Design Group Focusing on upfront cost can lead to short-lived roof systems. A more strategic approach prioritizes durability, material performance and installation quality to maximize long-term value. When engineering and maintenance managers consider roof systems, the initial… Read More

Study Overview The 2016 study Green and Cool Roofs to Mitigate Urban Heat Island Effects in the Chicago Metropolitan Area evaluated how widespread adoption of green and cool roofs influences urban climate dynamics beyond surface temperature. Conducted by researchers at… Read More

Study Overview The 2019 study Interaction of Urban Heat Islands and Heat Waves Under Current and Future Climate Conditions and Their Mitigation Using Green and Cool Roofs evaluated rooftop mitigation strategies in two distinct urban climates, New York City and… Read More

Although the discussion over roof color has shifted toward holistic roof system design and sustainable assemblies, the older “black vs. white” framing still shapes policy and perception. Revisiting these simplistic arguments helps explain why some stakeholders maintain this view, despite… Read More

Study Overview The 2024 Harvard-led study, Unexpected Warming from Land Radiative Management, examined the broader climatic effects of large-scale deployment of highly reflective surfaces, including cool roofs and pavements. Published in Geophysical Research Letters, the research used climate modeling to… Read More

Sustainability was a pervasive theme in 2024, leading to significant progress in research dissemination, advocacy, media engagement, and sustainability initiatives—all of which continue to point EPDM as the gold standard for roofing. “While new technologies emerge in the roofing industry,… Read More