Energy Star - A must for your home
ENERGY STAR® certified homes are the trend for many homeowners in the USA. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have put together a program to identify energy efficient products and practices in 1992. The ENERGY STAR® has saved thousands of dollars in bills and reduced the green house effects significantly. ENERGY STAR® label has given an assurance for the consumers a relief in terms of reducing the bills and green house effects. The blue label is for over 70 products and is being adopted by millions of homes and businesses. The small choice by the consumers result in billions of dollars in energy savings and tons of reduction in green house effects. The rating, standards, and the results take time and conscious effort to report.
Businesses can register to become the partners of the ENERGY STAR® program. Every year, hundreds of winners are announced who have successfully partnered with the program. Consumers are choosing energy efficient products and providers to save money and conserve the natural resources as well. Several tax credits for choosing certified products are available depending on a number of conditions in your state. Home owners can check with their contractor or builder if a product qualifies for the tax credit. ENERGY STAR® is thus making big difference in energy conservation and bringing awareness to people and businesses.
Roofing Products - Are eligible for energy savings too.
Energy Star certified products include appliances, building products, electronics, heating and cooling equipment, water heaters, food service equipment, lighting, and so on. Roofing products also qualify for the Energy Star certification. The roof products help reflect the sun rays fifty percent from the house that results in energy efficient homes. Roof products such as the shingles, coating, single-ply, modified bitumen, tile, built-up-roof, metal, and so on qualify for the certification. The initial emissivity and solar reflectance of the products are tested and rated for energy efficiency.
Roofs take the most heat from sun and are directly affected by the extreme heating and cooling down. The rapid expansion and contraction cause a great damage to the roofs. The energy star roofs can reflect fifty percent of the sun's rays and reduce the temperature of the roofs by 50℉ approximately. Calculate the advantages of using the reflective coating on the roofs from the Roof Calculator, which gives you the tentative dollar savings based on your living area and other conditions.
Roofing manufacturers such as the IKO have committed to the cause and manufactured the shingles to meet the specifications. IKO's Marathon Ultra AR - Super White and Cambridge AR - Super White qualify according to the Energy Star guidelines. You can compare the products to check their solar reflectance and initial emmissivity. Check the Product Finder to see if your product qualifies for the energy star roofing.
Specifications - To meet the standards.
Installing energy star roofs tend to reduce the peak cooling costs by ten to fifteen percent. The roof products must be certified as per the ENERGY STAR specifications. The products are tested for initial emmissivity and solar reflectance and are again tested after three years without washing for the emmissivity and solar reflectance. However, there are no specification for installing the roofing products. Providers must therefore adhere to the manufacturer guidelines or local building standards for installation.
Solar reflectance is a key parameter for roofing products. The amount of radiation reflected by a surface is measured as a percent or in the range of 0.0 to 1. This is known as solar reflectance. Roofing products are having different ratings for low-slope and steep-slope roofs. For low-slope roofs, the products' initial solar reflectance must be greater than or equal to 0.65. After 3 years, the solar reflectance must be greater than or equal to 0.50. For steep-slope roofs, initial solar reflectance must be greater than or equal to 0.25. After 3 years, the solar reflectance must be greater than or equal to 0.15.
For example, for steep-slope roofs, IKO's Cambridge Super White shingles have initial solar reflectance of 0.28 and the solar reflectance after three years is 0.25. CertainTeed Landmark series have Energy Star rated shingles for cool effects. PVC white roofs from IB Roof Systems are also rated for white roofs and energy efficient roofing. The manufacturer must provide same warranty for reflective and non-reflective products and comparable products. Installation requirements must be followed as per the manufacturer specifications. Energy star roofs thus have strict specifications and ratings before they become certified.
Cool Roofs - Best solution for Heat-islands.
Energy star roofs are also a good solution for applying cool roofs. Partners install twenty per cent of their overall roofing products and ten percent of the residential roofs with cool roofs. The energy efficiency of the cool roofs combined with health benefits and reducing green house effects, made them the popular choice for home owners. Cool roofs are the best solution for heat-islands, where the natural vegetation is less and more buildings are common. For cities with dense population and high rise buildings, energy star roofs and cool roofs are a good choice. Also, certain areas with high temperatures and high energy bills, also view cool roofs and energy star roofs as an effective alternative.
States such as California have made the cools roofs a requirement as per the Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards. The Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) is a non-profit organization that offers training and rating for your roofing products to meet the ENERGY STAR specifications. Check with your local rules and regulations about energy star roofing standards. Cool roofs also tend to be lighter in asphalt shingles or metal roofing. Light colors such as white or blue offer an alternative to the dark colors. The light colors reflect more heat from the sun keeping the roofs cooler. Energy star roofs or cool roofs are thus a possible solution practiced by many cities with heat-islands.
Benefits - Save money on bills and get tax credits.
Annual energy bills have skyrocketed in the USA and have become a major burden to home owners. Installing energy star roofs is a relief for home owners as it reduces energy costs significantly. In addition, energy star roofs are eligible for federal tax benefits of 10 percent up to $500. Metal roofs with pigmeneted coatings or asphalt roofs with cooling granules are eligible for the tax credit. Roof coatings are not eligible for the tax credit. Check for appropriate Federal tax credits that are available for using the energy star roofs.
Energy star roofs reduce the energy consumption of a house, thereby further reducing the green house effects which are a common result of running the air conditioners. The peak power consumption in high dense regions can be reduced by using the energy star roofs. Heat related deaths and illnesses can be reduced using the cool roofs. The overall environment of an area is improved due to the use of energy star roofs. In warmer areas, the energy star roofs are best for energy efficiency.
Olde Town Group - Experts in installing Energy Star Roofs.
Olde Town Group is the leading contractor in the Midwest who are experts in applying energy star roofs for customers in and around 200 miles of Quad Cities. They have head quarters in Moline, IL and also serve customers in Des Moines, Iowa City, Bloomington, Sterling, and so on. They can help you with energy audits, roof inspection, free estimates, installing energy star roofs, roof repair, and roof maintenance. Olde Town Group also offers siding, windows, gutters, home renovation, industrial flat roofs, commercial roofing, and so on.
IB Roof Systems Certified Installer
IKO Shield Pro Plus Certified Contractor
CertainTeed SELECT Shingle Master Certified Contractor
Roofing division
Their roofing division, Olde Town Roofing, is a certified Shield Pro Plus contractor from IKO who can install the energy star roofs for you. The group is also a SELECT Shingle Master certified from CertainTeed and can install the energy efficient Landmark shingles. They are also certified installers from IB Roof Systems and are able to install PVC white roofs to many residential and commercial units in the area.
Olde Town Group partners with CertainTeed products, Tyvek roofing, IB Roof Systems, IKO roofing, James Hardie siding, and Andersen windows to offer those products to customers. They also partner with financial institutions to offer better financing for customers. Olde Town Group can assist you with the paper work required for insurance and give all the supporting documents. Call Olde Town Group at 3097385550 or 5637239940 or 3095171676 for more information.
Here is a brief introduction about Olde Town Group by its owner, Sean Vogler.