When it comes to living a green and eco-friendly lifestyle, modern building materials allow us to incorporate that goal into the structure of the homes we live in. There has been a lot of progress made in energy efficiency over the years, and one way homeowners can take advantage of this is by having metal roofing installed. Before taking a look at metal roofing specifically, however, it’s important to understand how energy efficiency is measured in roofing materials.

The energy efficiency of roofing is measured by two different factors. First, solar reflective index (SRI) measures a material’s ability to reflect the sun. This reflective nature prevents the material from absorbing heat. Then, thermal emittance measures how much of the sun’s heat is absorbed by the material. The higher the rating, the more a material can disperse heat instead of storing it.

The exact SRI and thermal emittance rating of metal roofing depend on the color, but some colors come in around 0.83 SRI and 59 thermal emittance—however, the federal Energy Star requirement for metal roofing is at least 60 SRI. A new metal roof will most likely radiate and reflect more heat than your current roof does. This lowers cooling costs, saving energy and money.

Metal roofing also has efficiency and eco-friendly properties with larger implications than just a single home. Many types of metal roofing are made of 40% recycled steels and are, in fact, completely recyclable as well. Because of this high level of recyclability, very little—if any—metal roofing materials end up in landfills. Using fewer raw materials to produce the roofing means more energy is saved on a massive scale.

Metal roofing can not only have positive energy benefits for your own home, but it can also help promote more eco-friendly production in the roofing industry at large. These advantages make metal roofing a great option to consider for stocking up on roofing supplies or replacing a roof.

3-D Sheetmetal has provided expert metal roofing and fabrication services to the Honolulu region and other islands. With state-of-the-art equipment at their disposal, the talented metal workers put their experience to work crafting materials for a wide range of construction and home improvement purposes. For more information, call (808) 842-0110 or visit the website today.