Steel roofing is a most well-liked roofing materials because of its longevity, minimal upkeep, and resilience to break from hail, wildfires, and excessive wind occasions. One more reason steel is chosen by many constructing homeowners is its environmental impression when in comparison with different roofing supplies. Steel roofing is produced from excessive recycled content material and might be utterly recycled on the finish of its lengthy service lifetime of greater than 50 years, making it an apparent alternative for constructing homeowners.
With the addition of cool reflective paint pigments, which scale back a constructing’s cooling load, and since panels are simply put in onto a standing seam steel roof, steel roofing continues to develop in market share. As state and native governments introduce mandates for photo voltaic panels to be put in on buildings, this will additionally have an effect on a rise in steel roof installations. Incentives, equivalent to tax credit and rebates, can be found for photo voltaic arrays. The Photo voltaic Funding Tax Credit score has been expanded to supply a 30 % tax credit score for putting in photovoltaic programs by means of 2032.
A standing seam steel roof is the perfect platform for photo voltaic panels because of its lengthy service life. When putting in a crystalline photovoltaic photo voltaic system (sometimes warranted for 25 years of energy technology) over a steel roof, a constructing proprietor advantages from a roofing substrate, which has a better life expectancy than photo voltaic panels. Standing seam steel panels additionally present a pure platform for attaching crystalline programs with none roof penetration. Particular clamps are used to connect the photo voltaic panels to the steel seams. Moreover, extremely reflective roofs with cooler rooftop temperatures lead to higher efficiency of photo voltaic panels. Even when a constructing proprietor is just not ready to spend money on a rooftop photo voltaic array now, by putting in a solar-ready standing seam steel roof, the photo voltaic panels can simply be added sooner or later.
Insulated steel roof panels (IMPs) present the look of a standing seam steel roof with the added advantages of thermal efficiency, constructing effectivity, and sturdiness. IMPs are put in quicker in comparison with particular person roof elements. Subsequently, the development schedule and constructing completion are accelerated as a result of drying in a constructing takes a shorter interval. Photo voltaic panels may also be put in on standing seam IMP roofing.
Concerning cool steel roofing, cool pigment paints mirror infrared radiation, permitting colours to withstand chalking and fading whereas sustaining cooler floor temperatures. These coatings meet nationwide power requirements and tips. Many cool paint colours adjust to stringent California Title 24 Constructing Power Effectivity Requirements as properly. LEED credit might be acquired relying on the roof’s photo voltaic reflectance index and solar-ready capabilities.
Lee Ann M. Slattery, FCSI, CDT, CCPR, LEED AP BD+C is the gross sales help supervisor for ATAS Worldwide and the treasurer for the Steel Building Affiliation. She has 30 years of expertise in gross sales and advertising inside the architectural constructing merchandise business. Lee Ann was elevated to Fellowship inside CSI in 2020. She at the moment serves on the training committee for Nationwide Girls in Roofing and is a director on the board for Let’s Construct Building Camp for Women.