Measured energy savings from the application of reflective roofsin 2 small non-residential buildings

Journal Article · Tue Jan 14 04:00:00 EST 2003 · Energy

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0360-5442(03)00032-X· OSTI ID:917324

Akbari, Hashem

Energy use and environmental parameters were monitored in two small (14.9 m{sup 2}) non-residential buildings during the summer of 2000. The buildings were initially monitored for about 1 1/2 months to establish a base condition. The roofs of the buildings were then painted with a white coating and the monitoring was continued. The original solar reflectivities of the roofs were about 26%; after the application of roof coatings the reflectivities increased to about 72%. The monitored electricity savings were about 0.5kWh per day (33 Wh/m2 per day). The estimated annual savings are about 125kWh per year (8.4 kWh/m2); at a cost of $0.1/kWh, savings are about $0.86/m2 per year. Obviously, it costs significantly more than this amount to coat the roofs with reflective coating, particularly because of the remote locations of these buildings. However, since the prefabricated roofs are already painted green at the factory, painting them a white (reflective) color would bring no additional cost. Hence, a reflective roof saves energy at no incremental cost.

• Research Organization: Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley NationalLaboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE. Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency andRenewable Energy. Building Technologies of the U.S. Department of Energyunder Contract No. DE-AC03-76SF00098; AT&T, the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) under IAG DW89938442-01-2
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 917324
• Report Number(s): LBNL--47477; BnR: YN0100000
• Journal Information: Energy, Journal Name: Energy Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 28; ISSN 0360-5442; ISSN OINODG
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
COATINGS
COLOR
CULTURAL OBJECTS
ELECTRICITY
MONITORING
REFLECTIVE COATINGS
ROOFS