Why It Is Good To Paint Roofs White ?

Article Written By: Scott Rodgers

The average surface temperature of the earth has increased by1 degree Celsius since the industrial revolution. While this doesn't sound like much, it has what has cause natural disasters of the kind that have been witnessed in the past few years. In America, there have been many floods and hurricanes.

It has been said by the U.S. Secretary of Energy, also a scientist and a Nobel-prize awardee, that painting all the roofs in the world white can reverse global warming that has occurred. This effect can only be achieved otherwise by removing for eleven years all the motor vehicles in the planet.

That white paint can reflect the sun's radiations back into the atmosphere is the reason for this. Solar reflectance, expressed in a unit called albedo, is written in the form of a decimal or a fraction. A surface that reflects all solar radiations has a value of 1 and one that absorbs all the radiations has a value of 0.

The solar reflectance of the Earth is 0.29albedo, meaning that 29 per cent of the sunlight that falls upon it is reflected. Towns on the other hand, absorb more sunlight than the global average and their SR is 0.1albedo. Painting all roofs white could shift the Earth's solar reflectance from 0.29 towards 0.30.

The heat island effect can be mitigated when roofs in urban areas are painted white because of this reason. The benefits of painting roofs white are not limited to the betterment of the earth and also extend to the betterment of the homes.

Because solar radiations are reflected from the roof, a house with a white roof is naturally cooler. This means air-conditioning costs in it are reduced as are carbon emission resulting from extensive air-conditioner use. This contributes to the house becoming greener.

Durability is lent to the roof by painting it. Also, the need for many layers of insulation in homes that are in humid sub-tropical and tropical climates is eliminated by painting because in addition to reflecting solar radiations, the paint also emit far IR rays that are absorbed.

The problem with white roofs is that they get dirty, and their reflectance reduces after a few years. Without proper maintenance to keep them clean, reflective they do not provide the energy-saving benefits that their initial solar reflectance indicate them capable of. In cold areas where heating costs amount to more than cooling costs, it is not very practical to have roofs that are painted white.

About the Author

Scott Rodgers is a great author who has been writing on roofing for a long time now. His skill has given motivation to a host of workers, ranging from Glendale Roofers Need one? click here!) to Scranton Roofers (Need one? click here!).

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This Article Has Been Published on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 and Read 242 Times

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