Measured residential cooling energy savings from reflective roof coatings in Florida
- Florida Solar Energy Center, Cape Canaveral, FL (United States)
Traditionally, architects in hot climates have recognized that light colors can potentially reduce building thermal loads. Recent experiments in central Florida have examined the impact of reflective roof coatings on air-conditioning energy use in tests on monitored homes. An initial study was conducted in 1991 in a residence with a well-insulated R-25 (RSI 4.4) attic. After application of the reflective roof coating, daily air-conditioning energy was measured to decrease by approximately 10%. More detailed experiments for collecting data on time-of-day air-conditioning electrical demand were performed on two less-insulated homes in Cocoa Beach, Florida, in the summer of 1992: Site 1 with approximately R-11 (RSI 1.9) ceiling insulation and Site 2 with a flat roof with no insulation. Reflective coatings were applied to the roofs of both residences in mid-summer after a three-week period of monitoring during which building temperatures and air conditioning energy use were recorded every 15 minutes. Analysis revealed substantial reductions in space-cooling energy use in both homes. Air-conditioning energy use was reduced by approximately 25% at Site 1. Utility coincident peak demand between 5 and 6 P.m. was reduced by 28%. Cooling energy savings at the uninsulated Site 2 home were approximately 43 % and the coincident peak reduction was 38%.
- OSTI ID:
- 33232
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9406105--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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