Cool Roofing & Energy Efficiency

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

Abstract “Land radiative management” (LRM)—deliberately increasing surface albedo to decrease temperatures—has been proposed as a form of geoengineering to mitigate the effects of regional warming. Here, we show that, contrary to expectations, LRM causes temperatures to increase in surrounding regions…. Read More

THE GROWING AWARENESS of climate change, as well as the related issues of urban heat islands and steadily increasing energy costs, has led to a growing interest in the effectiveness of reflective, or “cool” roofs (i.e., roofs that are designed… Read More

For many years, architects, engineers and contractors believed that a roof’s color, especially the choice between black and white, significantly impacted a building’s environmental footprint by influencing the urban heat island (UHI) effect. UHI is a phenomenon where urban areas… Read More

Management guru Peter Drucker is frequently quoted as saying, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” There is some question about whether Drucker was really the author of this statement. Regardless, there’s an important message here for those… Read More

  ERA recently commissioned a literature review, working with the Department of Construction Science and Management at Clemson University. This literature review conducted a thorough investigation of published data and models designed to understand the impact of membrane color on… Read More

Since its founding almost 20 years ago, the EPDM Roofing Association (ERA) has been committed to providing science-based information about our products and their optimum use. Given the ongoing and intensifying efforts to lessen the impact of climate change, three… Read More