Last week, we replaced our 23 year old conventional roof with a
cool roof. The roofers also removed the skylight and installed new flashing and sealer all around each skylight to minimize air infiltration.
I forgot to take a picture of the old roof. The new one is lighter in color and contains blue and white grains that reflect sunlight.
We picked up considerable solar gain from the old charcoal gray asphalt shingles. We were worried a cool roof would increase our heating costs during the winter. The installers laid down a thicker underlayment than the stuff they took out. Hopefully, that will give us more insulation value in the winter.
Unfortunately,
financial incentives for cool roofs vary with the % reduction of energy consumption. Because we never had air conditioning, we won't show any reduction in energy use. We'll get the lowest rebate possible. It's so unfair that we are punished for past responsible behavior. We hope to feel more comfortable in our home, however.
Very useful to know, and a great Wiki article. If anything, it might be an added incentive if the Fed/State allowed a tax credit (at income tax time) for those who do NOT have A/C. We have tax credits (in Canada) for those who use public transport.
ReplyDeleteAnd though you will notice some increased level of comfort, I do understand your dissapointment.
It should be a requirement that every house have a solar roof. When we replace ours next year that's what we' 'll get. I would love one with plants but neighborhood association won't allow it. meanies
ReplyDeleteUnfair that you get punished for being virtuous
Excuse the stupid questions, but over what period is the "previous rate" being calculated? And what's the savings exactly? Because it may be that you still end up saving more money by having a lower incentive if you weren't spending that much over that period of time :-).
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, people might consider buying a cheap, used, inefficient portable a/c and running it constantly for a summer before they actually do the work on their house.
Kind of like in some counties you want to use more water on dry years where they ask for voluntary conservation, so you don't get dinged when the real rationing comes the following year.
Sigh.