Cool roofs are a longstanding strategy for improving building energy efficiency and mitigating the urban heat island (UHI) effect. They are widely adopted into building codes, land use ordinances, green building programs, and municipal climate resilience plans. Until June 2022, the U.S. EPA offered ENERGY STAR certification for roofing products, which has historically been required for compliance with several of these policies, as well as financial incentives. So where do architects and builders go from here? This session will describe alternative compliance options and third-party resources in the absence of ENERGY STAR. The speaker will describe the burgeoning landscape of cool exterior walls, including recent code and standard developments and advancements in evaluation and labeling. Like cool roofs, cool exterior walls are demonstrated to help mitigate UHIs across the U.S. They are also found to produce annual HVAC energy savings in U.S. climates zones 1-4. Finally, the session will explore opportunities and barriers in the adoption of cool surfaces and methods for educating customers about cool surfaces.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the radiative properties that affect the “coolness” of roofing and exterior wall products.
- List four effects that cool roofs and walls can have on a building or community.
- Interpret a CRRC Rated Roof Product Label and explain how it differs from an ENERGY STAR certification.
- Identify similarities and differences between radiative property testing for roofing versus wall products.
- Explain three challenges with widespread adoption of cool exterior walls.
Continuing Education Credits:
1.0 AIA LU HSW 
Speaker:
Audrey McGarrell
Project Manager, Cool Roof Rating Council
Audrey McGarrell is the Project Manager of the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that brings objective, scientific information related to cool surfaces to critical discussions and informed decisions about the impacts of heat islands, extreme heat, and energy use in the built environment. Audrey oversees the CRRC’s Technical Committee and Wall Rating Program Committee. She also manages the CRRC’s social media accounts and supports education and outreach efforts, including developing educational resources and speaking at events for the roofing and wall product industries and end-users. Audrey has been with the CRRC since 2021. Prior to joining the CRRC, Audrey worked in the building product certification industry, managing certification programs for steel framing products and other third-party quality assurance programs. She holds a B.A. in Spanish and a Master of Public Administration, and she is a LEED Green Associate.
