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The roofing systems and products market is all about green these days. “Whether its roofs, walls, or floors, energy efficiency and affordable construction are two top concerns for structural systems and the building envelope,” says James Hodgson, general manager at Premier Building Systems. “A common belief until recently has been that energy-efficient roof and building systems are difficult and costly to build because they require futuristic technologies. But the means to build them are readily available today.”
One of these means, for example, is Structural Insulated Panels, or SIPs. Though they have been used for decades, says Hodgson, more projects are incorporating them today because they help create “a tight, energy-efficient building envelop.” They install easily in large, prefabricated sections, and might even speed up construction and reduce costs by eliminating the need for separate framing, insulation, and sheathing work. Moreover, SIPs can help reduce a building’s annual energy usage up to 60 percent, minimize pollutants and allergens inside the building, and generate up to two-thirds less construction waste than other techniques.
As more builders and engineers start to push for net-zero energy buildings and homes, sustainable roofing products are continuing to grow in the marketplace. In fact, California will require all new construction (both residential and non-residential) to be zero energy by 2013, according to their Title 24 legislation. Other states might soon follow their lead, a possibility that would lead to major growth in SIPs usage and the sustainable roofing materials industry as a whole.
Bill Wachtler, executive director of the Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA), says re-roofing is becoming an increasingly popular option for increasing the energy efficiency of a building using the existing structure and SIPs panels. “SIP nailbase insulation can be easily applied over existing roof decks to add insulation and reduce operating costs in a tight economy,” he says. “We are also seeing engineers looking more at SIPs to reduce the amount of structural supports and cut construction costs.”
Another growing area in this market is daylighting systems, says Michael Crowder of Structures Unlimited, Inc. Daylighting systems can obtain up to 35 credits on a LEED project, says Crowder, in areas such as recycled content, daylight and views, and optimizing energy performance. Such systems are thermally efficient and allow builders to incorporate more daylight without requiring additional energy.
As LEED certification and green-focused projects become more and more popular, we can expect that the sustainable roofing products and systems market will only continue to grow. “Elective programs like LEED have raised the bar for building standards,” Wachtler says.
