How Metal Roofs Support Green Building Practices

by Mark Robins | 1 November 2022 12:00 am

The businesses behind green buildings, including architects and contractors, may be inspired intrinsically by contributing to the greater good of our communities and our planet. But they also follow the trends to capitalize on business, and right now, it seems like everyone is investing big in green buildings.

Green building is a practice of using sustainable materials to construct buildings. These materials will last longer with minimal negative effects on the environment. When it comes to green buildings, metal roofs are the ultimate solution, offering a low-maintenance alternative with a life span of up to 100 years.

Creating Sustainable Buildings

Metal roofing has found its way from the farmland to mainstream commercial at the behest of a movement to find more sustainable building materials. At face value, it seems like the perfect solution to fossil-fuel-laden asphalt roofs on older buildings.

Metal roofing is attractive, lightweight, durable and fire resistant. But the benefits don’t stop there; let’s look at all of the ways that metal roof panels can help achieve more sustainable buildings.

Recyclable Materials. While asphalt shingles end up in landfills, metal roof panels are fully recyclable. There is no shortage of places that take scrap metals, and most places will even pay for it. Old metal roof panels are melted down to create other metal products like appliances, plumbing fixtures, and furniture.

Energy Efficiency. Metal roof panels improve the energy-efficient performance of the entire building. Unfinished metal panels reflect high amounts of solar radiation, reducing heating and cooling costs up to 45% compared to traditional asphalt roofs. Plus, metal roofing can be coated with a variety of treatments that improve energy-efficient performance.

Metal Roofs and Solar Panels. Did you know that metal roof panels provide the base for most solar roofing systems? Both thin-film and crystalline solar technologies are good choices to pair with metal roof panels. The long life span of metal roof panels means that you won’t have to worry about removing solar panels to replace the roof.

Durability and Maintenance. The main reason that metal roof panels have seen a long history of use in agricultural buildings is for their maintenance-free durability. Most metal roof panels will last two or three times longer than a traditional asphalt roof.

Steel roof panels require virtually no maintenance. They are made from strong metal and are often coated with a self-healing zinc product that prevents corrosion. Low-end panels will last at least 30 years, with most high-end panels lasting 70 to 100 years. Metal roof panels have a long life cycle, which means that you will replace materials infrequently, and with a 100% recycle rate, you won’t be sending those materials to landfills.

Metal Roof Panels, LEED Certification

The US Green Building Council offers an independent review and certification of buildings to designate them as energy-efficient, green buildings. If you are after another acronym that adds value to your property, LEED is a good one to have. LEED certification can be an effective marketing tool to reach customers in the community, so building tenants will happily pay more per square foot over other buildings.

The LEED certification program is based on achieving points that are assigned at different values for each green building feature. Since metal roof panels are durable, energy-efficient and recyclable, they rank high on the LEED point system. Metal roof panels tend to collect LEED points in a variety of categories, from efficiencies in energy and water to environmental quality and innovation.

Brian Haraf is vice president of sales and marketing at Louisville, Ky.-based Metal Sales Manufacturing Corp. To learn more, visit www.metalsales.us.com[1] or call (502) 930-9478.

Source URL: https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/articles/how-metal-roofs-support-green-building-practices/

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