Demonstration of energy savings of cool roofs. Executive summary

PurposeThis paper aims to study the use of cool roof technology to avoid unnecessary energy consumption in supermarkets. This will allow to reduce and even cancel the heat absorbed by the roofs, transferring it to the buildings and thus, creating more sustainable cities.Design/methodology/approachThirteen real supermarkets with cool roofs were analysed in Australia, Canada, the USA and Spain. An analysis of so many supermarkets located in different parts of the world with different climatic zones has allowed an inductive analysis, obtaining real data of energy consumption associated with the air conditioning installations for a year with and without implementing the cool roof technology.FindingsThe paper provides insights on how the use of cool roof managed to reduce the need for energy for heating, ventilating and air conditioning by between 3.5 and 38%. Additionally, this technology reduces the annual generation of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per square meter of supermarket up to 2.7 kgCO2/m2. It could be an economical technology to apply in new and old buildings with a period of average economic recovery of four years.Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the chosen research approach, the research results may be generalisable. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test proposals in construction with other uses.Practical implicationsThe paper includes economic and environmental implications for the development of cool roof technology and smooths the way for its implementation to increase energy efficiency in commercial buildings.Originality/valueThis paper is an innovative contribution to the application of cool roof technology as a source of energy savings in commercial construction through the analysis of supermarkets located in different countries with different climate zones. This will help other researchers to advance in this field and facilitate the implementation of the technology.

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Impact of reflective roofs on the overall energy savings of whole buildings

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/202017225008 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 172 ◽

pp. 25008

Author(s):

Hamed H. Saber ◽

Ali E. Hajiah ◽

Wahid Maref

Keyword(s):

Energy Savings ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Short Wave ◽

Solar Absorption ◽

Thermal Emissivity ◽

Study Results ◽

Potential Energy Saving ◽

Energy Simulations ◽

Cool Roofs ◽

Storey Building

Many previous studies by the authors of this paper and others have shown that installing white/reflective/cool roofing systems resulted in energy savings. The amount of energy savings depended on the longwave thermal emissivity and the short-wave solar reflectivity of the rooftop surfaces. The question is “what is the percentage energy savings for the whole building as a result of using cool roofing systems instead of conventional/black roofing systems? To answer this question, three-dimensional energy simulations are conducted for typical Saudi buildings when they are subjected to the natural weathering conditions of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Several Window-to-Wall Ratios (WWRs) having different thermal resistances (R-values) and Solar Heat Gain Coefficients (SHGCs) are considered in the study. The windows are located in the different main solar orientations. To investigate the effect of the area ratio of the roof to the walls on the potential energy saving due to using cool roofs, one storey and two-storey are considered in this study. Results showed that using reflective materials with lower short-wave solar absorption coefficients in the roofing systems have resulted in a decrease in the yearly total energy loads of one-storey building and two-storey building.

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