Solar Roof Panel Technology

Solar Roof Panel Technology Featured in Congressional Energy EXPO

“ We believe strongly in the importance of energy-saving solar roof panel technology, and we are committed to helping develop this technology to its full potentia... ”Members of Congress, executive branch officials, congressional staff and journalists recently had the opportunity to see for themselves the energy-saving benefits of roof panel technology. The Eighth Annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO, held in the Cannon House Office Building in late June, attracted several dozen key figures in national energy policy.

(WASHINGTON) – Members of Congress, executive branch officials, congressional staff and journalists recently had the opportunity to see for themselves the energy-saving benefits of cool roof technology. The Eighth Annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO, held in the Cannon House Office Building in late June, attracted several dozen key figures in national energy policy.

Among the presenters was Custom-Bilt Metals, a longtime leader in the painted metal industry, which was one of the first to utilize and test new, highly reflective energy-saving metal roofing systems. The audience included several members of Congress as well as David K Garman, under secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy. The event was co-sponsored by members of the Senate and House Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Caucuses.

After members of congress saw the results that are being achieved, members of Congress and congressional staff personnel were particularly interested in learning what they could do to help make solar roof panel technology even more popular and successful."

Custom-Bilt Metals participated in the event at the invitation of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which has developed a test site that is currently monitoring the energy savings in homes that were built using Custom-Bilt Metals’ ULTRA-Cool™ coating, a new high reflective finish developed by BASF Corporation’s Industrial Coatings Division. Another key participant was Bob Scichili, a consultant to Custom-Bilt Metals who was instrumental in developing the finish when he was employed by BASF.

"The Congressional Energy EXPO was an unqualified success from our perspective," said Chiovare. "We had an opportunity to talk about solar roof panel technologies to several dozen interested parties from government, who are in a position to make such systems even more attractive through tax benefits or other incentives."

Chiovare noted the energy bill that is currently pending in Congress provides a tax credit for homeowners who take energy conservation steps such as installing solar panel systems.

"The people we met at the Congressional Energy EXPO were very interested in learning what they could do to encourage the use of this energy saving technology," Chiovare said. "The questions they asked us were focused on what solar roof panel systems can accomplish, and what government can do to encourage their use."

Cool roofs such as Custom-Bilt’s ULTRA-Cool system work by reflecting a greater amount of the sun’s infrared energy, Chiovare explained. According to test results at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory demonstration site, a metal roof with a cool roof finish can be as much as 55 degrees cooler on a sunny day. This could produce a nearly 20 percent saving in air-conditioning costs. In addition, solar roof panel technology can also help reduce the "urban heat island" effect, which causes increased demands on power plants.

"Widespread use of solar roof panel systems could have a tremendous positive impact in reducing energy consumption, not just for individual homeowners but for entire communities," Chiovare said. "We believe strongly in the importance of energy-saving solar roof panel technology, and we are committed to helping develop this technology to its full potential."