Cool Roofs

Relying on the centuries-old principle that white objects absorb less heat than dark ones, malls in US are in the vanguard of a movement embracing “cool roofs” as one of the most affordable weapons against climate change

Cool roofs reduce energy costs by as much as 20 percent in the tropics – these translate to lower CO2 emissions. In fact, Art Rosenfeld, a member of the California Energy Commission says that turning all of the world’s roofs white could save more than 24 billion tons of CO2 over the next 20 years.

What is more, a white roof can cost as little as 15 percent more than its dark counterpart, depending on the materials used. (Lawrence Berkley Labs). Also, in US the Cool roofs are eligible for federal stimulus dollars, low cost financing from major utilities and are also eligible for tax credits.

Wal-mart’s new stores in US for the past decade all have cool roofs with solar panels. But now the momentum is increasingly catching the home owners. This has prompted more business to come up and more research is going on across research labs towards highly reflective low cost paints