August 15, 2001—A recent study performed by the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) showed that reflective white roofs can cut cooling costs by 20 percent or more. The study was carried out by installing a variety of roofing materials on seven otherwise identical homes in Fort Meyers—each of which kept their thermostat at 77 degrees Fahrenheit. The study found the best results with white metal and cement tile roofs, which reflected from 66 to 77 percent of the solar energy, cutting cooling costs by 20 to 23 percent.
The other roofing materials evaluated were dark gray shingles, white shingles, white flat tile, white S-shaped tile, terra cotta S-shaped Spanish tile, and white metal.
The study, titled “Comparative Evaluation of the Impact of Roofing Systems on Residential Cooling Energy Demand in Florida,” can be found on the FSEC Web site.
