Page 10 - CooperatorNews New Jersey Fall 2021

10 COOPERATORNEWS NEW JERSEY
—FALL 2021
NJ.COOPERATORNEWS.COM
ENERGY & THE ENVIRONMENT
Green Options to Maximize Your Roof
From a Coat of Paint to a Community Garden
BY DARCEY GERSTEIN
On August 9, 2021, the United Na-
tions Intergovernmental Panel on Climate tions, repairs, and replacements to keep cording to American Home Contractors,
Change (IPCC) released a scathing report up and keep safe. All of this contributes to based in Florham Park, New Jersey.
detailing the indisputable impacts that the climate crisis.
human activity have made on the planet—
many of them reaching the point of irre-
versibility within the next generation or opportunities for addressing their climate under 65ºF—and cooling degree days—
two. The most consequential effects come impact—and many have to do with up-
from greenhouse gas emissions, which are grades to their roofs. Such upgrades can degree days, a cool roof is a no-brainer. and a load-bearing capacity of 80 to 150
responsible for approximately 1.1°C of be as simple and inexpensive as applying But even in a state like New Jersey, where pounds per square foot. This type of roof
warming since the latter half of the 19th a coating of reflective white paint, or as heating degree days are more common, can include shrubs and trees, in addition
century, according to the report. Consid-
ering that a 1.5ºC warming is projected munal roof deck or vegetable garden—but the heat absorbed by your roof can trans-
to occur over the next two decades, and all are considered “green” for environmen-
a 2ºC warming puts the planet in danger tal purposes. Each project comes with its greater amounts of air conditioning.” A sulation, water filtration, storage, and hab-
of heat extremes beyond tolerance thresh-
olds for agriculture and human health, ac-
cording to the IPCC the time for immedi-
ate, rapid, large-scale change is now - right building, and property value. These must lighter colored or reflective shingles, or down your roof during the summer, retain
now, in fact.
The World Green Building Council’s tural concerns (e.g., how much weight can isting shingles. The Department of Energy into the storm sewer system, and provide
2017 Global Status Report estimates that the roof support?), the desires of the resi-
buildings alone are responsible for nearly dents (perhaps especially those on the top roof is comparable to the cost of installing vironment,” says Giulia Alimonti, AIA,
40% of carbon emissions—putting much floor), and of course, cost.
of the onus for mitigation and remedia-
tion of this climate catastrophe on the
real estate sector. In fact, there is a certain first thing to know is what kind of roof the type of application.
symbiosis between buildings and the en-
vironment: as hotter times get hotter and rises or individual HOA units with sloped minium in Boca Raton, Florida, installed be combined with decking to create areas
colder times colder, more energy is needed roofs have different options than high-
to keep buildings and their residents com-
fortable. As weather events become more munity might opt for what is known as a According to Best Roofing, the Fort Lau-
frequent and intense, buildings must per-
form more frequent and intense inspec-
Fortunately, residential and commer-
cial buildings alike have great options and tant to factor in heating degree days—days and minimal maintenance. An intensive
complex (and costly) as creating a com-
own potential for energy savings, grants cool roof can reflect up to 80% of the sun’s itat opportunities; intensive systems have
and incentives, quality of life enhance-
ments, revenue generation, community-
be weighed against engineering and struc-
Know Your Roof
In embarking on any roof project, the 20¢ and $1 per square foot, depending on architecture, and materials science con-
you’re working with. For example, low-
rises with flat roofs. A sloped-roof com-
“cool roof”—a reflective surface that can derdale-based company that did the in-
be 50ºF less than a typical asphalt roof, ac-
“When making the decision for a cool plants that require 2 to 4 inches of soil, 12
roof,” says the company’s rep, “it is impor-
days over 65ºF. In areas with more cooling quires a minimum of 6 to 12 inches of soil
a cool roof can still be a benefit, because to other materials and installations that
fer into your home, causing a need for provide stormwater benefits, including in-
UV rays, according to American Home more potential for these benefits.
Contractors, and is as easy as installing
having a cool roof coating applied to ex-
estimates that the cost of installing a cool an ecological oasis in a dense urban en-
a traditional roof, while applying coatings LEED AP, senior architect with the recent-
to an existing roof surface costs between ly-opeed New York office of engineering,
The Addison On The Ocean Condo-
a cool roof in 2010, when it replaced its where building residents can relax and en-
original roof that was then 25 years old. joy their roof.”
stallation, the project took 70 days, and
was completed on time and on budget.
The company explains that the cool roof’s
15-year warranty means that “The Addi-
son is still saving money on its monthly
energy bills due to the cool roof’s highly
reflective surface that reflects heat away
rather than being absorbed into the build-
ing. Lower building temperatures mean
less energy spent on air conditioning. In
fact, the cool roof system is so effective
in lowering rooftop temperatures that it
radically reduces energy costs and even
extends the life expectancy of the roof.”
Go Green
A vegetation-covered roof is what
many people think of as “green,” and will
be referred to as such in the remainder of
this story. In situations where it can be ap-
plied, a plant-covered green roof can be
expected to prolong the life of a conven-
tional roof by at least 20 years, according
to the experts. This is because the vegeta-
tion prevents the roof surface from being
exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation
and the deteriorating effects of precipita-
tion and cold winds.
There are two basic types of green roofs:
extensive
and
intensive.
Extensive systems
are the types with short, shallow-rooted
to 40 pounds per square foot of roof area,
system, more akin to a rooftop garden, re-
make the roof suitable for active use. Both
“Green roofs are a great way to cool
some of the rainwater from going straight
sulting firm CTLGroup, headquartered in
Skokie, Illinois. “Green roof elements can
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