Cool Roofs Reduce Energy Bills in Los Angeles
The City of Culver City and Police Department struggled unsuccessfully for years to deal with a multitude of persistent roof problems and leaks. Culver City officials finally sought the professional services of their local roofing contractor, Hull Br
Online, June 23, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Hull Brothers Roofing, has been Los Angele's premier roofing company since 1928. Hull Brothers has performed literally every roofing and waterproofing project for the City of Culver City since 2003.
A Public Works official for the City of Culver City commented, "I am absolutely delighted that we were finally able to get Hull Brothers onto this roof project. I have once again seen what they can do, trust their expertise and know they stand behind their warranties. I believe this project was very successful and brings great value to the City."
Additionally, the City wanted to extend the serviceable life cycle of the older roof and to reduce the cost of electricity used to run the building's air conditioning systems. To complete the project in the most energy efficient way possible, Hull Brothers first provided normal roof maintenance, repairs and treatment of areas of negative drainage (low spots). Hull Brothers then installed a unique energy saving, highly heat-reflective, Title 24 compliant "Cool Roof" coating system.
According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, the drought in Southern California is expected to "persist or intensify" through the summer. Fortunately, the remedy for commercial buildings as well as private residences is a relatively low-tech and low-cost solution: a "cool roof."
California's Title 24 building code mandates the money-saving benefits of using cool roof technology for commercial and residential buildings. A "cool" or "white" roof significantly reduces electricity use during peak hours and also extends the roof's serviceable lifetime. The cool roof code already has resulted in cool roofs becoming more common throughout Los Angeles.
Craig Tranby, an environmental supervisor at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power commented, "For residential buildings, which represent a much larger area (than commercial buildings), this has not been the case and hotter asphalt roofs are dominant." The new municipal cool roof ordinance will change that.
"In Los Angeles, heat from the drought has resulted in a number of significant negative impacts, which the cool roofs will help address," said Tranby. These negative impacts include decreasing roof life-cycle, increasing overall and peak energy consumption as consumers attempt to cool buildings with air conditioning, plus increasing heat-related illnesses among those who cannot afford to cool their structures, according to Tranby.
Asphalt based roofs are extremely efficient at absorbing and retaining the sun's energy in the form of heat. According to the Department of Energy, on a hot, sunny day, the temperature on the surface of a traditional black or tar roof can be more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the surrounding air temperature. Because an uncoated roof is so inefficient it also remains very hot well into the evening hours. The roof effectively sits on the structure like a giant electric blanket slowly releasing (emitting) heat into the structure for hours after outside temperatures have fallen. This forces consumers to run their air conditioning well into the evening hours to cool their building's interior despite the cooler night air outside.
A "Cool" or "White" roof coating significantly reduces the heat emitted into the structure compared to an un-coated roof. In addition, cool roofs have proven to permanently reduce electrical costs, air conditioning demand and overall energy bills. Another benefit of a white roof coating is that it actually preserves the roof by protecting it from the sun's unrelenting damaging UV light, effectively extending the life of the roof up to twice that of an uncoated roof.
In the process of installing the "cool roof" for Culver City, Hull Brothers first sprayed the roofs with a base coating and then a second complete coating as a sealant. Each separate coating was back rolled by hand to insure proper coverage and adhesion. All parapet walls, flashings and penetrations were also coated. The 18 year old roofs looked brand new and it was obvious that their useful serviceable lives had been extended.
Looking ahead, "Los Angeles is going to get hotter," says David Fink, the director of campaigns for Climate Resolve, a local nonprofit environmental group dedicated to making southern California more prosperous and livable. "Cool roofs on consumer's properties help utilities meet their energy efficiency goals, Fink says. On a hot summer day, a cool roof can be up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than a traditional roof."
"The City of Culver City definitely made the right decision to spend their funds on this resurfacing system and will reap many benefits including the deferral of re-roofing by at least another seven years," Said Hull CEO Chuck Jewett.
For more information on how to save money and conserve energy by converting your old, hot roof into a cool roof, visit
http://www.hullbrothersroofing.com/cool-roofs