Metal Roofing Matters: To the building owner and to the environment

by Marcy Marro | June 1, 2023 12:00 am

With the addition of cool reflective paint pigments that reduce a building’s cooling load and the fact that solar panels are easily installed onto a standing seam metal roof, metal roofing continues to grow in market share. As states and local governments introduce mandates for solar panels being installed on buildings, that may also have an impact on an increase in metal roof installations.

A standing seam metal roof is the ideal platform for solar panels due to its long service life. When installing a crystalline photovoltaic solar system (typically warranted for 25 years of power generation), over a metal roof, a building owner benefits from a roofing substrate that has a greater life expectancy than the solar panels. Standing seam metal panels also provide a natural platform for attaching crystalline systems without any roof penetration. Special clamps are used to attach the solar panels to the metal seams. Additionally, highly reflective roofs with cooler rooftop temperatures result in better performance of solar panels. Even if a building owner is not prepared to invest in a rooftop solar array now, by installing a solar ready standing seam metal roof, the solar panels can easily be added a couple of years, or even decades, later.

Insulated metal roof panels (IMPs) provide the look of a standing seam metal roof with the added benefits of thermal performance, building efficiency, and durability. IMP roof panels are more quickly installed when compared to individual roof components, therefore drying in a building within a shorter period of time, accelerating the construction schedule and building completion. Solar panels can also be installed on standing seam IMP roofing.

Regarding cool metal roofing, cool pigment paints reflect infrared radiation, allowing colors to resist chalking and fading, while maintaining cooler surface temperatures. These coatings meet national energy standards and guidelines. Many cool paint colors comply with stringent California Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards. LEED credits can be acquired depending on the roof’s solar reflectance index and solar-ready capabilities.

In addition to cool paint pigments, above sheathing ventilation (ASV), can help to make a building cooler and more energy efficient. ASV is an air space between a roofing panel and the deck. ASV can be implemented in retrofits when metal roofing is installed over the previous roof system. Additionally, new commercial and residential roofing projects can include ASV by specifying an appropriate air gap. ASV creates energy savings by reducing air-conditioning costs in the summer and adding insulation value during the winter, as proven by testing performance sponsored by the Metal Construction Association (MCA) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. ASV also minimizes the effect of condensation between the roof layers. When combined with cool pigment technology, ASV can enhance the benefits of both technologies.

As you can see, there are many reasons to consider metal roofing for your next project, and why metal should matter to a building owner and to the environment. From increasing a building’s energy efficiency, to metal’s recycled content and recyclability, to reducing a building’s carbon emissions, metal offers far more than just beautiful aesthetics.

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Lee Ann M. Slattery, CSI, CDT, LEED AP BD+C, is the sales support manager for ATAS International Inc.[1], Allentown, Pa. She is also the treasurer of the Metal Construction Association (MCA), the former market development committee chair for the MCA, and serves on the education committee for National Women in Roofing (NWiR). In 2020, Slattery was elevated as a Fellow within the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI).

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/metal-roofing-matters-to-the-building-owner-and-to-the-environment/

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