| There's good news for Georgians who are looking | | | | space to prevent 44 billion tons of CO2 from |
| into roofing Atlanta homes. Now the state | | | | entering the atmosphere and delay climate change |
| insurance commissioner's office has approved the | | | | by 11 years, his study found. Additionally, white |
| first-ever "green" homeowners insurance that | | | | roofing Atlanta homes will cut cooling costs by |
| guarantees their modified homes will be rebuilt in | | | | 20%, which gives a financial incentive for |
| the same environmentally-friendly way should | | | | homeowners. |
| damage or destruction occur. If homeowners do | | | | Another "green" option for roofing Atlanta is to |
| not have a green house, they can still add-on the | | | | choose green roof insulation, which will save you |
| Fireman's Fund insurance to compliment their | | | | 13% on your energy bills. Instead of fiberglass, |
| existing policy; so if their house does get | | | | consider recycled cellulose fiber (which also acts |
| damaged, it will be rebuilt with sustainable | | | | as a flame retardant), recycled denim (which is |
| materials. This makes Georgia the 26th state to | | | | flame retardant and treated with Borax to repel |
| adopt the measure. "We hope this will encourage | | | | pests), soy insulation (which will last the life of the |
| and promote people to be green in their homes," | | | | house) or sheep's wool (which is considered one |
| said Commissioner John Oxendine. | | | | of the best products for its flame retardant, |
| So what better time to outfit your home with | | | | noise-deadening and filtering properties). |
| environmentally-friendly solar panels, recycled | | | | Some of the newer roofing Atlanta styles include |
| building materials or "green" roofing? There are | | | | PhotoVoltaic (PV) roof systems and Garden |
| many ways to keep the environment in mind | | | | roofs. California is the third-largest purchaser of |
| when roofing Atlanta homes. One option is to | | | | 30-year PV solar panel roofs, which are lowering |
| have your roof painted white. In July 2009, | | | | attic temperatures 50% and saving consumers |
| California will mandate sloping residential roofs to | | | | 30% on cooling costs. Garden roofs are more |
| be light-colored, cool-roof colors or white, said | | | | popular in Europe, Asia and on corporate buildings, |
| Arthur Rosenfeld of the California Energy | | | | but some homeowners like the idea of |
| Commission. Perhaps other states like Georgia will | | | | transforming their space into a living, breathing |
| follow suit. According to Dr. Hashem Akbari, a | | | | environment. |
| researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National | | | | When choosing materials for roofing Atlanta |
| Laboratory, a 1,000-square-foot rooftop painted | | | | homes, the eco-friendly consumer will ideally pick |
| white is equivalent to cutting 10 tons of carbon | | | | asphalt with a white or light tint (at no extra |
| dioxide emissions. When light pours down through | | | | charge) or a slightly more expensive pastel or |
| the atmosphere, it will bounce off the white | | | | white tile. A study conducted by Oak Ridge |
| rooftops and reflect back toward space, | | | | National Laboratory found that highly reflective |
| therefore keeping the earth relatively the same | | | | metal materials will reflect 34% more sunlight |
| temperature. If the 360,000 square miles covered | | | | away from the home, thereby saving home |
| by rooftops and pavement were a white or | | | | owners up to 40% in cooling costs. |
| lighter color, enough sunlight would reflect back to | | | | |