Potential energy savings from cool roofs in South Africa

Cool roofs are beneficial for most buildings almost everywhere in the world. They are described as an inexpensive method in order to improve the comfort level in buildings in mild and hot climate and to save energy. However, their cost-effectiveness can vary significantly, depending on climate and local factors. Therefore, the use of simulations with local conditions can provide the clarity required in order to deploy cool roofs in a particular location. This paper presents an estimation of the potential energy savings resulting from the use of cool roofs for different climatological conditions within South Africa. Several cities have been selected across South Africa and climatological data have been obtained from the NASA Atmospheric Science Data Center. The DOE Cool Roof Calculator was adapted for the estimation of cooling and heating saving corresponding to specific type of roofs and climatological variables within these selected cities. The preliminary results strongly suggest that cool roofs yield positive potential savings in residences using electrical heating for most of the cities studied.