Heidelberry Farms: Energy Conserving Roofing

Heidelberry Farms Energy Independence Project

  Do-It-Yourself: Generic Work Plan
     1. Determine energy consumption
     2. Identify sources of on-site energy
     3. Determine wind energy location
     4. Determine solar energy location
     5. Map energy system site
     6. Estimate budget

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     Energy Conserving Roofing

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Energy Conserving Roofing

Our farm has high winds anytime of year, with particularly strong winds in the winter, and unobstructed sun exposure, which is great in winter but would be a challenge in summer. We were able to work with our architect to determine the best roof pitch so as to allow rain and snow to slide right off, while not making the roof so steeply pitched that the constant wind load would not become an issue. That was an important design feature.

The next tough decision was determining an energy-efficient roofing material that could also stand up to the elements. There are many materials to choose from, but we had to limit our decision to those materials that were proven in our area, were within our budget, and those with which local contractors had installation experience.


Modern steel roofing is installed over a vapor barrier

In our area of the country, asphalt shingles, or the equivalent material, are the norm. This material for our purposes posed several problems: from staying affixed given the wind and snow load in winter, to acting as one giant heating surface from the sun exposure in summer. Additionally, once shingles no longer serve their purpose and you must replace them, the shingles wind up in landfills. Galvanized steel roofing was another option that was growing in popularity in our region. With steel roofing, once the product reaches a point at which it needs to be replaced, steel is recyclable. But, it has to be able to survive the conditions at the farm and be at least equal in its efficiency as asphalt shingles. It is more expensive than asphalt shingles. It has about the same lifespan and warrantees as asphalt shingles. However, given the installation method and material qualities of steel roofing, we determined steel would stand up better to the weather conditions at the farm.

After much contemplation given what we learned, we chose to go with the galvanized, coated steel roofing. Color with steel roofing was the next problem. A light color created a benefit in summer by not absorbing as much of the sun's heat, but it would also mean that in winter, we wouldn't get the benefit of attracting sunrays to help heat and eliminate any snow loads off of the roof. We determined that for our location, the primary energy consumer would be heating, not cooling. We did not want snow accumulating in the winter because of the load, and, we wanted the additional heat in the winter (albeit, not sufficient to make a huge difference, but enough of a difference). So in the end, we went with a darker but somewhat neutral green, which seemed to offer the best compromise of summer and winter efficiencies.

Underneath the roofing material must come well-designed insulation to offset the heat absorption in the summer, and prevent heat loss in the winter. We are currently weighing our options on that front, trying to find a eco-friendly solution, that will also create the best energy efficiency solution for our particular location and building design. As soon as that is determined, we will update this information online.

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