Roofs and environment

Well insulated roofs and reflective roofs (roofs capable of avoiding high temperatures under them) are good for the environment.

Heat islands and air conditioning

Installing a reflective roof - through coatings, membranes, high reflective tiles, etc. - helps reduce our individual air conditioning costs as well as the «heat island effect» in our cities, decreasing the amount of smog and the collective needs for air conditioning. That in hot climates, but also in temperate and cool climates...

Since most of the energy consumed worldwide in cooling is generated from fossil fuels largely responsible for air pollution, acid rain and global climate change, reflective roofs are a positive environmental step.

Note: The «heat island» effect is a phenomenon expressed in higher city's temperatures, comparatively to those of the surrounding countryside. These temperatures are about 2 to 8°F warmer and are largely a consequence of the dark and low reflective materials used in the roof buildings and city pavements.

See:

Attic insulation
Roof and ceiling insulation
Roof membranes and coatings
Metal and ceramic roof materials
Selecting roofing materials and installers

Recycled shingles

You may choose recycled shingles for roofing your house, but this isn't the best environmental solution. The dark color of those shingles represents a bad energy-efficiency option, since it causes huge absorption of heat in the hot weather, raising the cooling needs. Besides, for those who want to collect the rainwater from the roof, the asphalt shingles are also a poor solution, since they make the water undrinkable. Recycled metal and clay materials are a much better option

Recycled metal and clay materials

Manufacturers are now presenting recycled metal and rubber roofing products, as well as natural roofing materials (clay...). These solutions are affordable and are often a practical and aesthetical option.

Be aware, anyway: the color, the quality and the coatings are very important elements. Bare metal materials or dark colored products are poor solutions in terms of energy.