There are a variety of ways to make your building more sustainable and energy efficient, but the most discussed area to improve is the roof. For years, we've heard about the benefits of white roofs, green roofs and roofs covered in solar panels, but depending on the building and where it's located, one of these types may make a bigger impact than another.
For building owners in hot, dry climates, turning your roof white is one of the easiest and cheapest things you can do to dramatically cut your energy use, but what about buildings in colder climates? Which choice produces the most benefit?
A study recently published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology details a full life cycle assessment of each roof type for buildings located in Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary, Canada and comes up with a clear winner.
The study specifically modeled office buildings with a large roof of 1,340 square meters, assuming a 50-year life span for the building, and declared solar roofs the definite winner with green roofs coming in second and white roofs last.
The study didn't just look at the energy efficiency gains the roofs produced, but the full environmental impact of manufacturing, transporting and installing the materials as well as any toxic chemicals used in the process and how the roofs affected human health, air, and water quality.
