You can say a lot of things about roofs, and most of them might be true. But one thing that nobody can argue with is that roofs are tops. This statement can be taken in several ways. A roof does for the top of your home. It can also act like a "top" or lid for your home, keeping the rain out. Then, there's the third meaning, which is the one we happen to like the most: roofs are the best. (People say things are "tops" when they really like them.) Since we like roofs so much, we've decided to write about them, and you've discovered the blog where we do that.
Brian Riley
When you are considering options for commercial roofing, you may want to make decisions based on how your roof can make your business more efficient. There are a wide variety of options to help you save money on utilities and reduce the environmental impact of your company.
Daylighting
One way to make your business more efficient is to utilize your roof as a way to partially or completely address the interior lighting situation. Daylighting is an option to help reduce your electrical usage during daylight hours. Prismatic skylights and/or light tubes are used as a way to capitalize on natural light during daylight hours, which can reduce or eliminate the need for conventional lighting inside the facility. During times when there is no direct sunlight or you need additional lighting, using LED bulbs is ideal to reduce energy usage while still maintaining adequate lighting.
Solar Panels
Solar panels are popular additions to commercial roofs because it offers a way to "bank" solar energy to be used in emergency situations or low light times of the day. The use of solar panels can be important if you have a warehouse or manufacturing business that operates 24/7. You can configure the solar energy to be used at peak times or when the usage would be the most efficient. For example, the use of utilities during daylight hours is often the most costly because these are high-demand times of the day. Using stored solar energy during the day and using traditional energy at night may be the most cost-effective use of energy.
Cool Roofs
Cool roofs are particularly useful if your business is located in an area that has harsh warmer months. The roof is configured using materials that work well at reflecting heat to keep the building cooler, thereby requiring less effort from the air conditioning system to keep the temperature comfortable. This strategy may be more valuable if your business has many electronics since it is critical to keep these items cool. Some examples of highly-reflective roofing are metal roofs and asphalt painted to be white or another light color. Another advantage of some cool roofs is the material works well in dry conditions that are high risk for fire. If your business is located in a hot, dry climate, you will also want to consider the protective nature of your roofing material so it is fire-resistant.
Commercial buildings generally require significant energy usage, making roofing options critical in creating a more efficient building. Using a combination of roofing types can keep energy use more affordable and have fewer negative impacts on the local environment.
Contact commercial roofing services to learn more.