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Title 24 Cool Roof Compliance: Understanding Title 24 Requirements
California’s Title 24 Cool Roof
Here at Wilson Brothers Roofing, we care about the environment and our community’s well being. We work hard to stay up to date with the California Energy Commission’s energy standards pertaining to our specialty roofing. As such, all of the manufacturers that we work with offer Title 24-compliant materials.
In 2005, the state of California instated an energy code known as Title 24, Part 6: Building Energy Efficiency Standards. This code essentially provides for cooler roofing systems. Cool roofs are beneficial to California residents and the environment because they save both money and energy.
On this page, you’ll learn about California’s Title 24 cool roof requirements and how they can help the environment and your home.
Title 24: A Short History Behind the California Cool Roof
Back in 1974, the state of California created the California Energy Commission through the Warren-Alquist Act. Still very active today, the commission is California’s main energy policy and planning agency. The goal is to get California to 100% clean energy by focusing its efforts on:
- Providing safe, reliable energy supplies
- Reducing energy costs
- Decreasing greenhouse gas emissions
Title 24 is part of the commission’s effort to reach these goals. Part 6, the Building Energy Efficiency Standards, is updated and re-implemented every three years and is part of the broader California Building Standards Code. These energy regulations support and protect clean energy goals related to climate and public health.
Find out more about the 2022 Building Energy Efficiency Standards here. And for an overview of Title 24 in general, check out the California Energy Commission Title 24 webpage.
What Is a Title 24 Cool Roof?
A cool roof is a roofing product that has:
- High UV reflectiveness, also known as solar reflectance
- Thermal emittance
Solar reflectance and thermal emittance are measurements from the outermost layer of a roofing product. Both aspects of a cool roof give the roofing product its name; the roof temperature stays cooler, particularly on those sunny California days when we all want to blast the AC.
A cool roof helps reflect light and emit heat, keeping the inside of your home or building cooler. That way, you don’t need to turn that AC on high; instead, the cool roof helps lower the interior temperature, saving energy and money.
Measuring a Title 24 Cool Roof: Solar Reflectance & Thermal Emittance
Solar reflectance is the amount of solar energy that a surface can reflect. The measurement is demonstrated through percentages.
Thermal emittance is a roofing material’s ability to emit heat that it had absorbed from the sun.
An alternative way to meet the California Title 24 requirements is via SRI. Both solar reflectance and thermal emittance are measured using a Solar Reflective Index, or SRI. SRI is a formula that calculates how much solar heat is “rejected.” Alternative means a roof either has to meet a specific solar reflectance measurement and thermal emittance measurement or meet a target SRI measurement.
Residential Cool Roofs
Title 24 has specific definitions of building types. Residential buildings are places that are occupied by people who live there. Residential buildings are separated into two different categories:
- Low-rise: These are buildings, structures, and houses that are up to three stories tall. They can include single-family homes or duplexes, as well as residential buildings that are no more than three stories in height.
- High-rise: These residential buildings, structures, and homes are four+ stories in height. With high-rises, each of the four stories and above need to be available to live in, or a “habitable story.” A habitable story is space with 50% of its volume or more above grade. Note that hotels, dorms, and motels are not included in this category.
If you have questions about whether or not you live in a low-rise or high-rise residential building, feel free to ask us. We can walk you through the particular Title 24 requirements for your zone and home structure.
Wilson Brothers Roofing provides comprehensive residential roofing services, so no matter your building or zone, you can be sure we are providing you with the right information!
Commercial Cool Roofs
Commercial buildings, also categorized as nonresidential buildings, are just that. Any building that is not a low or high-rise residential building can be categorized as nonresidential.
Hotels, dorms, and motels are included in this category. Other structures may be offices, wholesale stores, schools, sheds, apartments that are more than four stories high, retail shops, and more.
Wilson Brothers Roofing offers a full range of commercial roofings services. We can help you with the Title 24 requirements for your specific commercial property. Call us today for more details.
Benefits of Having a Title 24 Cool Roof
Cool roofs can cut building owners’ energy costs. Because cool roofs gain less heat than normal roofs, they reduce the need for air conditioning, making buildings more comfortable for the people inside.
Cool roofs like Title 24 roof shingles can also cut maintenance costs and increase the life expectancy of the roof. For society in general, cool roofs help to reduce the urban heat island effect that makes our cities hotter and produces unhealthy air.
The benefits of a California cool roof come down to the two factors that measure cool roofs in general: solar reflection and thermal emittance.
Reflective surfaces bounce sunlight—along with unseen infrared rays and ultraviolet radiation—away from the structure. While darker surfaces absorb and retain heat, reflective surfaces bounce solar light and heat off of the surface of the roofing material.
With thermal emittance, the heat is also emitted back outside of the house, rather than absorbed in. When thermal emittance is low, heat continues to move through roofing components and into your home or building. The interior of your house or building gets hotter, causing you to crank up the air conditioning. On top of discomfort from excessive heat, your energy bill increases, too!
All in all, a cool roof is great for cooling your home, protecting the environment, and reducing urban heating. The purpose, according to the California Energy Commission, is to “reduce wasteful and unnecessary energy consumption.”
Meeting California Title 24 Cool Roof Requirements
There are specific cool roof requirements for each one of California’s 16 climate zones. For example, California Title 24 insulation requirements for zones 1 and 3-9 are different from the measurement values for zones 2 and 10-16.
Cool roof requirements also differ based on what type of roof installment you choose. However, there are three primary approaches that can be applied to all zones to meet California Title 24 roofing requirements.
- Prescriptive approach: The prescriptive approach is an installment (or roof replacement) of a cool roof that happens all at once, rather than in stages. This is when an entire roof installment occurs with Title 24-compliant materials.
- Overall envelope approach: This approach can be used when you do not want a cool roof. The envelope approach is when your home or business has a specific amount of attic insulation. We say specific amount because that amount may change depending on what California zone your structure is in.
- Performance approach: The performance approach entails using a software system that can measure how energy efficient your structure is. This method is usually used on new structures where the contractors have the freedom and flexibility to make these calculations ahead of time. The software measures the entire building’s energy and compares it to cool roof systems. If the building meets the energy standards, it is good to go.
If you are looking for Title 24 shingles or other Title 24-compliant materials, check out our products by clicking the link.
California’s 16 Climate Zones
California is separated into different climate zones, each with its own standards for meeting Title 24 requirements. Many of the zone requirements overlap, but it’s best to work with a professional roofing contractor like Wilson Brothers Roofing to be absolutely certain.
For example, Bakersfield, which is located in Zone 13, shares some Title 24 insulation requirements with Sacramento in Zone 12. However, neither city shares the same Title 24 insulation requirements as San Francisco, which is located in Zone 3. However, all three cities share the same nonresidential Title 24 construction requirements.
Meeting standards can get complicated—and quickly. Talk to Wilson Brothers Roofing for more information about how to meet your zone’s Title 24 requirements.
Check out the California Energy Commission’s climate zone finder tool to see what climate zone you are located in.
How Do I Know That My Roof Meets Title 24 Requirements?
So how do you really know if your roofing materials are Title 24-compliant? Check to see if your roof has the CRRC label.
The CRRC is the Cool Roof Rating Council. The council doesn’t set the Title 24 requirements (which are reviewed every three years). Rather, it sets the standard for the ways to label and measure cool roofs.
The CRRC runs tests on roofing materials in order to determine if they are compliant with the requirements. If the measurements come out correctly, the CRRC then labels the products as certified by the CRRC. To truly know if your product is a Title 24-compliant material, then look for the CRRC’s approval stamp to be sure!
The CRRC label may give the measurements and say “as manufactured.” These materials are still Title 24 compliant.
Contact Us for Your Title 24 Cool Roof
At Wilson Brothers Roofing, we are dedicated to adhering to the Energy Commission’s energy standards by providing Title 24-compliant products and installation without compromising on durability, aesthetics, and value. It’s important to note that
Wilson Brothers Roofing offers Title 24-compliant roofing; however, the homeowner can choose to incorporate Title 24-compliant options into a project or not.
If you have any questions about Title 24 insulation requirements, products, or benefits, call us at (661) 589-4297 or fill out an online form today. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you with all of your roofing needs!