Some measures, like lighting retrofits, are relatively straightforward

In the quest to combat climate change, there are myriad steps facility managers can take to reduce the carbon footprint of their buildings. Some measures, like lighting retrofits, are relatively straightforward, while other steps can be more complicated and involved, like upgrading HVAC systems. A simple step that is sometimes overlooked, however, is choosing a cool roof when it's time for a recover or replacement project. Many facility managers may be unaware of the impact a cool roof can have on energy savings, a building's carbon footprint and the overall climate.

Cooling all urban surfaces, including roofs, in the warmest regions of the planet could result in a one-time offset of 44 billion tons of carbon dioxide, according to a study by the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratories Heat Island Group. That's equivalent to taking 1 billion cars off the road for 11 years.

"For every 100 square feet of roof that's changed from black to white, you offset on average one ton of carbon dioxide emissions," says Hashem Akbari, group leader of the Heat Island Group and senior scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.

But if taking up arms against climate change isn't that high on your to-do list, just think in terms of dollars and cents. "You can save a kilowatt-hour per square foot of roof per year," says Akbari. "That could be $.10 to $.15 per square foot."

Cool roof technology has been around for decades, but only recently is it becoming standard practice. California, for example, has recently adopted the first statewide mandatory green building standard, called CALGreen. It goes into effect January 2011, and includes stringent cool roof requirements for new construction. Other municipal governments have cool roof codes in place, like Chicago with its Energy Conservation Code. The LEED green building rating system and the Energy Star label have also made facility managers more aware of the benefits of cool roofing.