ROOFING ENERGY SAVINGS CALCULATOR

Estimating Energy Savings by Improving Your Roof

Key Points of the Energy Savings Estimation Calculator:

• Material Savings Percent: Defines how much each type of roofing material can potentially save on the current energy spend. This varies by material type, reflecting the different energy efficiency benefits of each roofing material.

• R-Value and Solar Reflectance Multipliers: Adjust the base savings depending on the selected insulation quality (R-Value) and the roof's ability to reflect solar energy (Solar Reflectance). Higher values in these categories enhance savings by improving thermal resistance and reducing heat absorption.

• Variability Factor: A predetermined factor that introduces a range into the estimated savings to account for uncertainties. This is applied to the calculated savings to provide both a low and high estimate, giving users a better sense of the possible variation in actual energy savings.

**Final Output: Presents an estimated annual savings.

Average Yearly Energy Consumption in Michigan

The average Michigander spends around $169 per month on their electricity bill, adding up to a whopping $2,028 per year! Unfortunately that isn't going to be dropping any time soon. In 2024, the average rate for electricity is at $0.19 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), which means that the average Michigander is using something like 874 kwh of electricity per month and well over 10,000 kWh's per year.

Fast Facts about Electric Rates in Michigan

• Over the next 25 years, you will pay more than $67,000 on electric bills in Michigan

• The correct roofing materials will help you reduce your electric bill by using less electricity

• Solar roofing solutions will help you further reduce your electric bill in Michigan

• Energy costs are quickly rising, year-over-year, at an alarming rate of increase

• Cool Roofing Products would help reduce your energy costs

Saving on Electric Costs with Solar in Michigan

Solar panels help Michigan homes and businesses save money on electric costs by providing a portion of the buildings electric needs. The total amount of savings on electrical costs that solar can help provide is largely dependent upon a few different factors, the most important of which is how many solar panels you have.

When considering the average amount of sunlight hours, in Michigan, along with the degree of intensity of the suns rays, it can be estimated that Michigan residents would need a minimum of an 8.5 kilowatt (kWh) system to totally off-set the average electrical consumption of a typical Michigan consumer. A system of this size would cost nearly $28,000, but could be partially paid for using government programs and incentives that are available. Additionally, to reduce your electric costs with solar and save money you don't need to completely cover 100% of your costs. You could have a smaller system and it would still save you money on electrical costs by allowing the solar panels that you did have to off-set some of your other energy needs.

Roofing Types: Understanding Which Roofing Material is The Most Energy Efficient and Why

In order to understand which roofing materials are more energy efficent than others, you have to understand the why. Two factors that help evaluate the efficient of roofing types are:

R-Values - is a measure of insulation's ability to resist heat traveling through it. Generally speaking, for ever 1" of material it increases the r-value by 1. So, materials that are thicker or denser than other materials will tend to have higher r-values.

Reflectance Percentages - the ratio of energy that is reflected to the total energy incident on a body, like a roof, which is expressed in a percentage. In common terms, how much light is reflected off the surface of a roof and how much of that light is absorbed. Black roofs, like asphalt shingles, have a very low reflectance percentage, while metal roofs have a pretty high reflectance percentage.

Now that you understand these two variables, it is easier to evaluate which roofing materis is the most energy effcient and which are least efficient. The following is a list of roofing types ranked by most energy efficient to least energy efficient:

Metal Roofing - the most energy efficient roofing type is any type of metal roofing because of it's very high reflectance percentage and also because, when paired with a high-value underlayment it can possess a high r-value.

Wood Shake Roofing - wood shakes are an energy efficient roofing material because they are relatively thick, which provides for a high r-value by themselves, which can be increased using a high-value underlayment, and are available in a variety of colors which helps their reflectance percentage qualities.

Tile Roofing - tile roofing materials provide moderate energy efficiency due to their relative thickness, which provides good r-values when paired with a quality underlayment, and roofing tiles are available in a variety of colors and finishes, which lends to having a decent reflectance percentage.

Asphalt Shingle Roofing - asphalt shingles are the worst, in terms of energy efficiency for roofing materials, because they are relatively thin, which hurts their overall r-value even when paired with a high-quality underlayment, and asphalt shingles are generally black which absorbs a lot of the sun's light and lends to a very low reflectance percentage.

Roof Ventilation: Proper Flow Reduces Energy Costs

Having the proper airflow for your roof ventilation is a smart way to increase your roof's efficiency and lower your annual energy costs. In addition to preventing other problems from forming, like mold development, having good airflow can reduce your energy bills by removing hot air from your attic. When outside temperatures increase to 85 degrees or more, during the summer months, inside of the attic that air can reach over 160 degrees. This heat is transferred into your home or business and makes your ac run more frequently, which increases your energy costs and your energy bills.

10 Added Benefits of Having an Energy Efficient Roof (In Addition to Lowering your Energy Bills)

If the benefit of saving money wasn't enough, here are additional benefits of having an energy efficient roof:

• Lowers the overall maintenance cost over the roof's lifetime

• Increases the value of your home or business for resale

• Extends the longevity and lifetime of your roof

• Increases the lifetime of other home systems like HVAC systems

• Creates a more comfortable + consistent interior environment

• Helps maintain and regulate internal rooms without AC or Heat

• Has a high aesthetic value from the curb

• Decreases dependency on the infrastructural grid

• Prevents dry-rot, mold, and other complications from forming

• Lower carbon footprint is better for the environment

Energy Efficient Roofs: Are They Worth The Money

The short answer is, yes energy efficient roofs are worth the extra money that they cost to install. Sure, up front energy efficient roofs are going to cost money. This is largely due to the higher-value materials and/or the extra materials that are required to make the roof "energy efficient". However, over the period of the roof's lifetime (25 to 50 years) that increased energy efficiency is going to pay for itself. Especially if you consider going with a very high energy efficiency option, like a metal roof with and underlayment system with a high r-value.

If you do the basic math, a new energy efficient roofing system made of metal roofing materials may cost $4,000 - $5,000 more upfront, but with an increased savings of $500/per year this metal roof will pay for itself after8-10 years. Then, with the additional increases of rising energy prices, the energy-efficient metal roofing system will be saving you thousands and thousands of dollars, year-over-year.

Energy Savings and Energy-Efficient Roofs are Smart

Solar panels help Michigan homes and businesses save money on electric costs by providing a portion of the buildings electric needs. The total amount of savings on electrical costs that solar can help provide is largely dependent upon a few different factors, the most important of which is how many solar panels you have.

When considering the average amount of sunlight hours, in Michigan, along with the degree of intensity of the suns rays, it can be estimated that Michigan residents would need a minimum of an 8.5 kilowatt (kWh) system to totally off-set the average electrical consumption of a typical Michigan consumer. A system of this size would cost nearly $28,000, but could be partially paid for using government programs and incentives that are available. Additionally, to reduce your electric costs with solar and save money you don't need to completely cover 100% of your costs. You could have a smaller system and it would still save you money on electrical costs by allowing the solar panels that you did have to off-set some of your other energy needs.