{"id":451,"date":"2014-01-08T21:39:05","date_gmt":"2014-01-09T02:39:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/roofingmagazine.com\/?p=451"},"modified":"2014-01-08T21:39:52","modified_gmt":"2014-01-09T02:39:52","slug":"reroofing-one-opportunities-improve-built-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/roofingmagazine.com\/reroofing-one-opportunities-improve-built-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"Reroofing Is One of the Few Opportunities to Improve the Built Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"
All of us get misled by catch-phrases, like \u201cSave the Planet\u201d or \u201cGlobal Warming\u201d or \u201cClimate Change\u201d. Although phrases like these are well intended, they can be misleading; they really are off topic. Something like \u201cSave the Humans\u201d is more to the point and truly the root of the entire sustainability movement. Let\u2019s face it: The efforts to be more green are inherently aimed at a healthier you and me, as well as our children\u2019s and grandchildren\u2019s desire for continued healthful lives and opportunities.<\/p>\n
The discussion about green and sustainability needs some context to make it real and effectual. The question to ask is: How does green construction help humans live a healthier and happier life? The answer is: It is because of the co-benefits of building (and living) in a more environmentally appropriate way.<\/p>\n
One key component of building environmentally appropriate buildings is that, collectively, we use less energy. Less energy use means no need to build another power plant that creates electricity while spewing pollution into the air. Less pollution in the air means people are healthier. It also means the water and soil are less polluted. We drink that water and eat what grows in the ground. We also eat \u201cstuff\u201d from the rivers, lakes and oceans. Healthier people means reduced costs for health care. Reduced sickness means fewer sick days at the office, and fewer sick days means more productivity by employees. And, dare I say, happier employees are all because of the environmentally appropriate building, or a \u201chuman appropriate\u201d building.<\/p>\n
So what does all this have to do with roofs? Rooftops, because they are a significant percentage of the building envelope, should not be overlooked as an important and truly significant energy-efficiency measure. Building owners and facility managers should always include energy- efficiency components in their roof system designs. There are few opportunities to improve the building envelope; reroofing is one of those opportunities, and it shouldn\u2019t be missed.<\/p>\n
According to the Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing<\/a>, Washington, D.C., and building envelope research firm Tegnos Inc.<\/a>, Carmel, Ind., roof systems have the potential to save 700-plus trillion Btus in annual energy use. Too many roofs are not insulated to current code-required levels. If our rooftops were better insulated, these energy-saving estimates would become reality. Imagine the co-benefits of such a significant reduction in energy use!<\/p>\n But how do we know we\u2019re doing the right thing? RoofPoint<\/a> and the RoofPoint Carbon Calculator will help. The RoofPoint Carbon Calculator<\/a> uses seven inputs to compare an energy-efficient roof with a baseline roof: insulation, thermal performance, air barrier, roof surface, rooftop PV, solar thermal and roof daylighting. The outputs from the RoofPoint Carbon Calculator are total roof energy use, energy savings due to the energy- efficient roof design, energy savings during peak demand, and CO2 offset for the energy-efficient roof design. This can be used to compare an existing roof (the baseline roof) to a new roof design (the energy-efficient roof), and this will help verify the energy savings and reduction of carbon output. It\u2019s an excellent tool for verifying how green a new roof can be.<\/p>\n