Creating an Environmentally Friendly Roof

When it comes to building a home, homeowners are leaning more and more toward environmentally friendly materials, no matter how extreme they may be.  There are several reasons to consider environmentally friendly options when it comes to the roof of your home.  The first reason would be to preserve the beauty of the earth, but a close second would be to save money on your monthly utility bills.  If you are curious about turning your home into an environmentally friendly structure, here are a few ways you can do so.

Vegetated roofing materials

Vegetated roofs are more popular in some areas rather than others, but we are sure to see more of them popping up as it becomes trendier to “go green.” Vegetated roofs are essentially gardens on top of roofs composed of nutrient rich soil that is often times pre-seeded with vegetation that fits the region the home is located in.  The benefits of these roofs is that they do not damage the environment like asphalt shingles and other harsh roofing materials.  They also add beauty to a home, and usually consist of plants that can withstand drought and other elements.

Roofing technology

Technology is continuously advancing, and contractors are finding that if roofing materials are environmentally friendly, homeowners will pay higher costs for them.  Solar panels are making an appearance in many areas, and are becoming more affordable, but homeowners are often turned away from them because of their bulky and ugly appearance.  Another option would be integrated photovoltaic technology, which is a thin film that performs the same as big, bulky solar panels.  According to
Discovery, they can be incorporated into metal or shingles, and are much less obvious and just as effective as large solar panels.  Even more popular are solar shingles, which are shingles that contain silicon cells that are completely transparent, and can generate energy just as well as other solar powered technology.

Energy efficient options

Power bills are constantly on the rise, which is why homeowners are in search for cheaper alternatives. Solar powered technology would be a great option and can save homeowners hundreds of dollars on energy bills, but they are also expensive, and not always an affordable option for homeowners.  If you are in this situation, consider installing light pipes into your ceiling.  They are a new technology that harvests natural light and projects it through a bubble so it effectively lights your home without the need for electricity during the day.  Another energy saving option would be personal wind turbines installed on the roof that can create enough energy to power the entire house for a low price.

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Source: news.discovery.com/tech/biotechnology/green-roofs-top-ten.htm