Homeowners these days don’t just want to save money – they want to cut costs while helping the environment. Luckily, this is pretty easy to do. Saving cash and helping Mother Nature tend to go hand in hand, especially when your home is outfitted with sustainable and energy-efficient materials. Take your roof, for example.

As the Metal Roofing Alliance put it, most homeowners don’t realize what a difference the roof over their heads can make for the environment. But there’s a lot to consider when it comes to choosing a new roof: raw materials, durability and recyclability are three, and metal roofing performs excellently in each of those categories. Asphalt shingles are a petroleum product, noted Metal Roofing Alliance, and they leave a pretty significant environmental impact. Furthermore, you’ll be replacing them every 15 to 20 years, which worsens the issue. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reported that about 11 million tons of asphalt shingle waste is generated and disposed of in U.S. landfills each year.

That’s definitely not eco-friendly. But metal roofing manages to turn all that around.

Most metal roofing is made from up to 25 percent recycled material, and considering that a metal roof itself is 100 percent recyclable after it’s worn out its lifespan, you don’t need to worry about adding to the landfill problem. Plus, when you’re talking metal roof lifespans, it’s not anywhere in the ballpark of asphalt roofing numbers. Metal roofing is a true investment because it’s durability means half century warranties. In fact, you can expect your standing seam metal roofing to last significantly longer than that. In fact, according to some sources, American homes have original metal roofs dating back 120 years!

But perhaps the biggest perennial draw for metal roofing is that it can potentially lower utility costs, creating lower bills and and a smaller carbon footprint for homes. You can even score a tax credit from the federal Energy Star program for your metal roof, providing it meets certain efficiency standards, which may be impacted by things like materials and color.

And if you want to get even more energy-efficient with your new metal roof, there are options open to you.

Installing a photovoltaic system
There’s no doubt about it, “Photovoltaic” is an intimidating word. Often shortened to PV systems, most people are familiar with this technology through solar panels. In a PV system, components are designed to use the sun itself as a power source to create a reservoir of usable electricity. There are various kinds of PV systems

, such as ones that track with the sun to maximize exposure. But when you think about it, what gets more sun and sees less shade than your roof?

Metal roofs tend to reflect the sun’s rays. That’s what helps them keep down utility costs in the summer. So if you want to absorb them instead, you’ll need to speak with your metal roof contractor. His or her team can set you up with the information you need to turn your home into a true green machine.

Metal Roofing News brought to you by Global Home Improvement, the Tri-State’s Leading Home Remodeler. For your Free Estimate call 1-215-953-5151 today!