Cool roofs cut cooling loads by up to 20 percent through the use of reflective materials that limit solar heat gain. A conventional cool roof features light-colored surfaces - shades that commercial facilities with flat or low-sloped roofs find acceptable. However, homeowners typically prefer the aesthetics of darker colors for their steep-sloped roofs.
Manufacturers have now developed dark-colored pigments for roofing materials that are more effective at reflecting sunlight. These pigments are now being used in coatings for metal roofs, in clay and concrete tiles, and in the multicolored granules of which shingles are comprised. Cool-colored roofing products look like their standard counterparts, but they reflect more sunlight, absorb less heat, and stay cooler. (See Figure 1.)