I’m pleased to announce that our industry continues to take proactive steps to help roofing professionals promote the energy saving benefits of today’s roofing systems. Specifically, there are two online roofing energy calculators that are or will soon be available that every roofing contractor should be familiar with.

Originally released ten years ago by the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), the EnergyWise Roof Calculator (www.energywise.nrca.net) is one of the most widely-used energy evaluation tools for roofing. In addition, the NRCA has done an excellent job of updating and improving the calculator over the last decade. In the latest version, several new features have been added that will make the calculator even more useful. First, it’s updated with the latest model energy codes, including the 2015 version of the International Energy Conservation Code. Next, it now offers a feature that can determine the temperature gradient through a roof assembly, and present the information graphically in a report. According to the NRCA, users will find this feature beneficial when evaluating a vapor retarder’s effectiveness.