Cool Roofing for LEED Certification

You've probably heard the term green building before. It's used to describe a variety of building and roofing practices that are growing in popularity all over the US and beyond. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a worldwide program that encourages green building by providing a structured strategy for overall building efficiency. All buildings, even residential homes, can earn LEED points and obtain LEED certifications.

The biggest advantage of these green buildings is they save money.

• Less electricity is needed to heat and cool them.
• Less water is needed to build them.
• Fewer greenhouse emissions are released.
• And many of the building materials are recyclable.

It's a win not only for the building owner but for the environment as well. It has also become a win for the architects, designers and builders. Factors such as energy efficiency, maintenance costs, and the environmental impact of any building are incredibly popular in the marketplace. It is a bonus when companies and contractors are familiar with green building and LEED practices and can offer solutions to meet this need.

The roof of a building has a significant impact on all these factors. AMSI provides sustainable roofing products that support LEED certification.

What is LEED Certification?

The USGBC (United States Green Building Council) launched the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program to encourage the construction and redesigning of “green buildings." The LEED certification program awards points to a building for any environmental friendly action taken during construction, use, and renovation of a building. USGBC hopes that the LEED certification will accelerate the implementation of green building techniques.

The certification levels are:

• Certified - 40 to 49 points
• Silver - 50 to 59 points
• Gold - 60 to 79 points
• Platinum - 80 to 110 points

The certification program offers a range of categories to earn points, including:

• Increased profitability
• Reduced adverse environmental effects
• Encourages safety and well-being of occupants

Benefits of metal roofing for LEED certification

Metal roofs increase the profitability of buildings in multiple ways. To start, metal roofs are durable. Most of them come with a 40-year warranty. While asbestos roofing lasts 15 years, metal roofing can last up to 75 years. The durability increases profitability by cutting down maintenance costs. If you are to sell the building in the future, the metal roofing will be attractive to potential buyers because they know they will not have to replace the roof.

Metal roofing also reduces negative environmental effects. Metal is recyclable; at the end of its lifetime, a metal roof can be recycled, while other roofing materials become waste. Also, the roof itself can be made from recycled products, making it an environmentally friendly option. Metal roofing also has reflectivity and emissivity attributes that reduce energy costs used to cool or heat the building. Air conditioning systems use fossil fuels, directly or indirectly, which have adverse environmental impact. A metal roof helps lower the use of air and heating systems, which also saves costs.

Finally, metal roofs improve the indoor air quality inside buildings, which has a positive impact on the well-being of the occupants. Plus, a well-insulated metal roof with vapor barriers will decrease condensation in the building, which reduces accidents related to structural damage.

Metal roofing products that achieve cool roofing goals

One of the components of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification is cool roofing. A cool roof is a roofing system that reflects solar energy back into the atmosphere. This reduces cooling costs in the summer, reduces the deterioration of the roofing materials and reduces air pollution.

Older roofing systems, such as tar or asphalt, absorb heat and hold it in the building. As cities have grown, these buildings have produced urban heat islands, places where, because of the heat of the roofs, the temperature has increases of the area around them. Some rooftop temperatures can rise up to 190°F. Cool roofs are a way to combat these hotspots.

Cool roofing requires the use of specific materials that have been proven to reflect infrared, ultraviolet and visible light that causes older, black roofs to heat up. Many metal roofs, especially those coated with special layers that reflect light, are considered cool roofing materials. Many are white or light colored, although new coating is available in a variety of colors.

In order to gain a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, a cool roof must meet other standards. These standards include sustainability, maintenance, aesthetics and others. This is why metal roofs are a great choice for your LEED project. Not only do they meet the criteria of being reflective, even without coatings, the materials are recyclable, easy to maintain, can last for up to 60 years and with newer styles, and look great on any home or building.

AMSI is a global supplier of metal roofing products. At AMSI, we pride ourselves on providing products that achieve cool roofing goals. We supply the 2” standing seam panel, a high-performance metal roofing designed for the commercial, residential, and military building designs. We can fabricate metal roofing to suit your style and needs, creating custom sheet metal profiles using our CNC machine. We also provide metal roofing tools and supplies from top manufacturers such as Wuko, Irwin, Midwest, ITW Buildex Tru-Grip, Emseal, Malco, and Masterflash. From edge rollers to sealants, you'll find what you need. Contact us today at 7770-920-1931.