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Other Cool Roof Codes and Programs
Click here to view our downloadable Codes and Programs brochure
1.) What sorts of roof rating programs are out there? Roof
rating programs provide a source of radiative performance data for
roofing products, as well as a means of exploring and comparing
different roofing options. There are currently two nationally
recognized roof rating programs in the United States: the Cool Roof
Rating Council's Product Rating Program and the Environmental
Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR® Reflective Roof program.
The Cool Roof Rating Council www.coolroofs.org
The
Cool Roof Rating Council maintains a credible and unbiased third-party
rating program for measuring and reporting the radiative properties of
roof surfaces. The CRRC publishes the measured solar reflectance and
thermal emittance values in their online Rated Products Directory and
on CRRC Product Labels for use by roof specifiers, code officials,
architects, contractors, engineers, and building owners. Radiative
property values are measured by CRRC Accredited
Independent
Testing Laboratories, not by manufacturers (this excludes Custom Colors
for factory-applied metal coatings, which be measured by CRRC
Accredited Manufacturing Testing Laboratories). The CRRC does not define what is “cool” or set minimum requirements. Any roofing product may be listed on the CRRC Directory with its respective measured values when rated in compliance with the CRRC Product Rating Program Manual (CRRC-1). Using the online Rated Products Directory, interested parties can search through a comprehensive list of ratings and narrow their results to products that meet their project criteria.
ENERGY STAR® www.energystar.gov
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR Reflective Roof program is complementary to the CRRC Product Rating Program. Manufacturers can choose to rate their products with ENERGY STAR as long as they meet ENERGY STAR’s minimum specifications. The ENERGY STAR program accepts either ratings provided from the manufacturer’s own testing or ratings from the CRRC Product Rating Program.
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2.) What information can the CRRC give me relating to energy codes?
Two
primary organizations, the International Code Council (ICC) and the
American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers (ASHRAE) have developed National Model Energy Codes.
These codes are not mandatory or enforceable until a jurisdiction
adopts them as part of regulation or law. In the U.S., many states and
jurisdictions have adopted these organizations’ codes, while others
like California and the City of Chicago have developed their own.
California’s Title 24 www.energy.ca.gov/title24
The
California Energy Commission’s Building Energy Efficiency Standard,
Title 24, includes a cool roof prescription for low-slope (less than
2:12) nonresidential roofs for new construction and major re-roofing.
Section 10-113 requires that cool roofs be tested and labeled by the
Cool Roof Rating Council. Title 24 defines a cool roof as “Any roofing
product with an initial thermal emittance greater than or equal to 0.75
when tested in accordance with CRRC-1 [and] a minimum initial solar
reflectance of 0.70 when tested in accordance with CRRC-1.” However,
Title 24 makes limited exceptions for clay and concrete tiles and
products with low thermal emittance and comparatively high solar
reflectance.
Cool
roofs are not a mandatory measure for Title 24. Nonresidential
buildings with low-sloped roofs can comply by choosing one of the
following compliance options: the Performance Approach, the Envelope
Component Approach or the Overall Envelope Approach (the latter two are
under the larger umbrella, Prescriptive Approach). Depending on which
option is chosen, a cool roof may or may not be necessary for compliance.
City of Chicago egov.cityofchicago.org
The
Chicago Energy Conservation Code includes a requirement for cool roofs
as a way to mitigate the Urban Heat Island Effect. Chicago requires
cool roofs in low-slope roofing applications. Roofs installed before
December 31, 2008 must meet a minimum solar reflectance of 0.25 for
both initial and aged values. After December 31, 2008, roofing products must meet ENERGY STAR criteria.
International Energy Conservation Code (IECC®) www.iccsafe.org
The
International Energy Conservation Code is a national model energy code
produced by the International Code Council® (ICC). The code contains
minimum energy efficiency provisions for residential and commercial
buildings, offering both prescriptive- and performance-based
approaches. The 2003 and 2006 versions of the IECC® reference ASHRAE
90.1.
ASHRAE Standards 90.1 and 90.2 www.ashrae.org
The
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers (ASHRAE) maintains energy standards to define acceptable
performance levels.
ASHRAE Standard 90.1 (2004 edition)
Energy
Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, section
5.3.1.1, allows reduced roof insulation (U-factor) if a cool roof is
used. ASHRAE 90.1 defines a cool roof as having a minimum solar
reflectance of 0.70 and minimum thermal emittance of 0.75. This
allowance is permitted in climate zones one, two and three only. See
DOE climate zone map at: http://www.energycodes.gov/implement/pdfs/color_map_climate_zones_Mar03.pdf.
ASHRAE Standard 90.2 (2004 edition)
Energy
Efficient Design of Low-Rise Residential Buildings, section 5.5, also
allows for reduced roof insulation with a cool roof, but sets the
minimum solar reflectance at 0.65 or allows an SRI value of 75. SRI is
a calculation measured from 0 to 100, using solar reflectance and
thermal emittance, defined by ASTM E1980. Section 5.5 also states that
values for solar reflectance and thermal emittance shall be determined
by a laboratory accredited by a nationally recognized organization,
citing the Cool Roof Rating Council as an example. This allowance is permitted in climate zones one, two and three only.
ASHRAE
also produces Advanced Energy Design Guides, which include the Advanced
Energy Design Guide for Small Office Buildings and Advanced Energy
Design Guide for Small Retail. These guides provide energy-efficiency
measures that can be directly applied depending on the project and will
reduce energy use compared to ASHRAE Standard 90.1-1999. In
climate
zones 1, 2, and 3, which cover the southern states of the U.S., the
design guide includes a suggestion for cool roofs and references the
CRRC Product Rating Program.
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3.) What is the CRRC's relationship to California Energy Commission's Building Energy Code, Title 24?
The
CRRC has been referenced by Title 24 as the supervisory entity for
solar reflectance and thermal emittance data that Title 24 accepts for
compliance. In order to be considered a "cool roof product" for Title
24 compliance, the product must be rated with the CRRC in addition to
meeting other Title 24 requirements. Please visit the CEC website
for additional requirement information: www.energy.ca.gov/title24
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4.) Does the CRRC or Title 24 accept ENERGY STAR ratings?
No, the CRRC requires independent testing which must be performed by a CRRC accredited laboratory. ENERGY STAR ratings were accepted for Title 24 compliance in the past, but are no longer; products must be rated with the CRRC.
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5.) Does the CRRC have information on additional energy resources?
These
websites provide users with an initial perspective on what codes a
given state or jurisdiction has adopted. It should be noted that
compliance is the responsibility of the building owner and that the
local jurisdiction should be contacted to confirm the code(s) that are
adopted and in effect.
Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP) bcap-ocean.org/code-status
The
Building Codes Assistance Project provides visual overviews of state
energy code adoptions for both residential and commercial codes in the
form of interactive maps of the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) www.energycodes.gov/implement/state_codes/index.stm
The
Department of Energy maintains a building energy code program that
includes an interactive map of the United States that allows users to
check the status of energy codes in any state by simply clicking on the state(s) in which they are interested.
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6.) What is a green building program? Can the you tell me about some different green building programs?
Green
building is a growing trend in American architecture. To provide
guidance on what makes a building “green,” several organizations have
developed voluntary guidelines and certification programs. Some
jurisdictions have adopted these green building programs as mandatory
requirements. For example, New York City requires that many of the
city’s new municipal buildings meet LEED requirements. Several other
jurisdictions, including Seattle and Atlanta, have adopted similar
measures.
USGBC’s LEED® www.usgbc.org
Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the US Green Building
Council’s Green Building Rating System, a voluntary certification
program for sustainable buildings. LEED has several different systems,
including one for New Construction and Existing Buildings. LEED for New
Construction and Major Renovations (LEED-NC) Version 2.2 gives credit
for a cool roof under Sustainable Site Credit 7.2: Heat Island Effect:
Roof. LEED-NC credits roofs with a Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) value
greater than or equal to 78 for low-slope roofs, and 29 for steep-slope
roofs. LEED-NC references the CRRC as a source of product ratings,
though it does not require the product to be CRRC-rated. It permits
other sources as well, such as the US-EPA ENERGY STAR Reflective Roof
program. LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) Version 2 gives credit
for a cool roof under Sustainable Site Credit 6.2: Heat Island
Reduction: Roof. LEED-EB gives credit for a roof that is an ENERGY
STAR-compliant roofing material that has a minimum thermal emittance of
0.90.
Green Globes www.thegbi.com/greenglobes
Initially
developed in Canada, The Green Building Initiative brought the Green
Globes system to the US. Green Globes V.1 Rating System is a
questionnaire-based green building rating system, which allots up to
115 points for different measures in several categories. Under the
“Site” category, up to 10 points can be earned for using high albedo,
or “cool” roof surfacing. To earn this credit, Green Globes requires a
Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) value greater than or equal to 78 for
low-slope roofs, and 29 for steep-slope roofs. The number of points is
assigned based on the percent of the roof covered with cool roof
material.
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7.) I heard that there is a Federal Tax Credit for cool roof products. Can you give me information?
The IRS currently provides a tax credit for metal and asphalt
roofing products that meet the ENERGY STAR® program requirements.
The tax credit is for 30 percent of the cost of the roof, up to
$1,500. Please visit the ENERGY STAR® roof tax credit FAQ page for more information, or call: ENERGY STAR Hotline (888) STAR-YES / (888-782-7937).
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8.) Can you tell me about cool roof rebate programs in my area?
Several
electric utility companies offer rebates for the installation of cool
roofing materials in new construction and/or roof retrofits. Please check with your local utility to find out if there are cool roof rebates in your area.
Click here for more detailed rebate information
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If you have a question that has not been answered on this page, see CRRC-1 (the CRRC's Program Manual) or contact us.
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