You have a beautiful home – one that you’re proud to show to visitors and one that feels welcoming every time you come home. But is it a home that’s good for your local and global environment as well? Changes in home technology have made it easier for sustainable, eco-friendly roofing options such as green roofs and solar roofing to become more mainstream. Here are some of the possibilities for your home.

Adding Efficiency

If you’ve considered sustainable roofing options, but you don’t have the ability to collect solar energy easily or to re-engineer your roof to cover it with plants, never fear. You can still become more energy efficient. In a climate with a warm summer, simply installing or retrofitting a roof with a solar reflective white coating allows that roof to reflect up to 90 percent of the solar energy that hits it. Simply put, white roofs don’t get as hot. Cooler roofs mean lower energy bills during the summer months. How much can you save? According to the White Roof Project, white roofs can save 10 to 40 percent of a home’s summer energy use.

Redirecting Stormwater

Another simple way to make your roof more green (or is that blue?) is to use your roof as a water collection hub. Your roof is in constant contact with the weather. When the rain falls or the snow accumulates, it does so on your roof. Using state-of-the-art gutter systems that eliminate gutter debris, and installing in- or above-ground water collection devices, you can store water for your garden. Instead of being a problem to remove from the areas around your home, your stormwater can become a valuable asset that can substantially reduce your home water use.

The Benefits of Green Roofs

If you want to go green, look no further than your roof. A green roof is a one that is covered in plant material, such as drought-tolerant grasses or sedum. This plant material moderates the temperature of your home and cleans the air. Since it’s covered in plants, a green roof also acts to slow and filter stormwater. Like a white roof, a green roof reduces summer energy use by approximately 75 percent, according to Green Roofs. When you’re looking for a roofing material with a wide variety of environmental benefits, think about a green roof.

The Benefits of Solar Roofing

When you’re looking not just for efficiency, but for energy generation, think about solar roofing. Solar shingles, such as DOW POWERHOUSE turn the energy of the sun into useful electricity for your home. Combined with appliances that use less energy, solar roofing can generate all or most of the energy to power your home. In some areas and at some times of the year, a solar system may actually generate excess energy – energy that you can sell to neighbors or sell back to your local power company.

You love your home. You love your local places. Share that love through a home that reduces your energy bill or moderates the temperature. You’ll be surprised at the many benefits of your sustainable roofing choices. Schedule an appointment today and learn more about the ways in which Harry Helmet can help you re-imagine your roofing options.

Written by Del Thebaud