Green Roof Albedo

Keep your commercial building cool with a cool roof one of the more recent advancements in the field of green commercial construction are what are known as cool or albedo roofs.

Green roof albedo.

The solar reflectance of green roofs varies depending on the plant types generally 0 3 0 5. Click on the green marker to view this building in google maps. The albedo effect has been proven in both natural and man made environments in recent years. It recorded an albedo decrease of 0 15 in a year gaffin et al 2006.

2006 conducted a research comparing surface radiation reflectivity albedo of white roofs and green roofs. On a sunny day a roof that strongly reflects sunlight can stay much cooler than a roof that absorbs sunlight. Green roofs provide a thermal mass layer which helps reduce the flow of heat into a building. In contrast to conventional roofs these kind are specifically designed to reduce internal building temperature by reflecting the sun s uv rays.

A sample cool roof. White paint recorded an albedo of 0 8 on average but it is difficult to maintain high albedos on white surfaces without regular washing. Albedo is the reflecting power of a surface. In los angeles the average roof albedo is about 0 17.

A sample. This roof has a high albedo and reflects about 63 of the energy from sunlight.