From lowering your carbon footprint to creating a greener planet for future generations, improving the energy efficiency of your home offers several benefits. There are a number of measures that you can take to achieve these advantages within your property, including replacing old appliances, draught-proofing, investing in double-glazed windows, and simply remembering to switch the lights off.
Another incredibly effective approach is installing energy efficient roofing, which can significantly reduce your energy costs. High-quality roof insulation and ventilation minimise temperature fluctuations that would usually require heating or air conditioning systems to correct. These measures also keep your home at the ideal temperature during our extreme summers and winters.
In this guide, we’ll explore exactly how to find the best roofing material for the job, and why choosing a dry fixed system can help you achieve optimal energy efficiency.
Energy Efficient Roofing Materials
Damaged shingles, frequent leaking, increased energy bills, and sagging are all signs that you should invest in a new, more energy efficient roof. While there are several types available, here are some of the best roofing materials to consider if you’re looking to upgrade.
Asphalt Shingles
While traditional asphalt shingles are known to be amongst the most heat-absorbent types of roofing material available, modern versions are built with energy efficiency in mind.
These asphalt shingles make your roof energy efficient with solar-reflecting granules, which reflect sunlight and keep surface temperatures low. This cool roof coating means you’ll need to spend less on air conditioning, as lower amounts of heat will be transferred through the attic into your home.
Metal Roofs
Metal roofs are another type of energy efficient material that reflects solar heat, which is why they’re often hot to the touch. They can even be pre-treated with special coatings that maximise this reflectivity and improve their energy efficiency rating. For instance, compared to traditional asphalt shingles, light-coloured metal roofs create energy savings of up to 25%.
A cool roof made from metal is also built to withstand extreme weather conditions, including severe rain and hail, meaning it requires little maintenance. This results in a lifespan of 50 years or more!
Several varieties of metal are ideal for creating an energy efficient roof, such as steel, which is known for its strength and durability, as well as lightweight, recyclable, and corrosion-resistant aluminium.
Concrete Tiles
Concrete tiles have exceptional sound and heat insulation properties that help to reduce your property’s energy consumption. Air can also flow under these tiles, making it easy for them to release any heat they don’t absorb.
Another huge benefit of installing concrete tiles as an energy efficient roof option is that they are highly durable and require little maintenance; for instance, these roof tiles only require cleaning once every 2 to 3 years. Plus, concrete comes in several different colours and finishes to suit the unique design of your home.
Terracotta Roof Tiles
Made from a natural clay that’s great for the planet, terracotta tiles have a high energy efficiency rating as they offer great thermal performance, preventing heat transference into your home by up to 70%.
Terracotta is also incredibly lightweight and doesn’t absorb too much moisture, meaning these tiles are less likely to support the growth of mould and other types of fungi on your new energy efficient roof.
Insulation
Effective insulation materials like mineral wool and fibreglass help to lower heat transfer from outdoors to inside your home and vice versa, particularly if they’re installed between roof joints or in the attic.
When trying to keep your home cooler during the summer and warmer throughout the winter without turning to A/C and heating, choose insulator roofing materials that have a high R-value. This value highlights their thermal level of resistance, which is another key factor to think about when creating a more energy efficient roof.
Roof colour
You should also consider the colour of the roofing material that you choose to insulate your home. While darker shades absorb more heat, lighter colours are often the more popular choice with Australian homeowners as they reflect sunlight, therefore keeping your home cooler throughout our hot summers.
Ventilation
Ventilation is another crucial factor when it comes to finding and installing an energy efficient roof. Without proper ventilation, heat that builds up in your attic from high temperatures outside will have no choice but to enter your indoor spaces, raising energy bills and potentially causing damage to your home.
For example, eaves not only support your roof, but they also act as vents to filter fresh air into the roof space. These vents provide an escape for hot air during the summer months, while also stopping moisture build-up in your existing roof cavity and offering shade that keeps air conditioning costs low.
Dry Fixed Ridge System
One way of ensuring that air continually circulates through your roof is with a mechanically fixed dry ridge and hip system like RapidRidge. Powered by Evo Building Products, this innovative system improves energy efficiency by facilitating natural cooling across your existing roof.
By doing this, RapidRidge reduces heat transfer through the ceiling into your living space to minimise the use of air conditioning systems. As a result, you’ll notice fewer temperature fluctuations in your home, which improves energy efficiency, minimises cooling costs, and lowers your overall energy bills by up to 43% per year!
You can therefore achieve the energy efficient roofing benefits of ventilation with a complete passive system that requires minimal maintenance once installed. RapidRidge is also incredibly weather resistant, which helps to prevent the build-up of moisture that causes mould and mildew growth.
Learn more about how RapidRidge can prolong the lifespan of your roof and reduce repair costs by visiting our website.