What is an energy roof?

What is an energy roof?

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Home News What is an energy roof?

The energy issue is as complex as it is fascinating. Any method of generating energy has both advantages and disadvantages. One thing is for sure though, individuals and businesses will increasingly be generating their own energy. Flat roofs are ideal for the installation of PV solar panels, wind turbines and solar collectors, among other things. A roof that is used to generate energy is referred to as an ‘energy roof’. It is a smart way of using the surface area of your roof to reduce your energy costs, and it is also good for the environment.

Flat roofs are ideal as energy roofs

It is relatively simple to generate a significant portion of your own energy with PV solar panels. You can do so on any roof, but flat roofs have a number of important advantages. Unlike a pitched roof, they make it much easier for you to orient your solar panels for optimal efficiency: facing south at a tilt angle of about 35°. This way you get the most out of your system and you also shorten the payback time of your investment. In addition, a flat roof is convenient and safe for installing and maintaining your PV solar system.

The ideal roofing for an energy roof

In a PV system, it is the sunlight – not the heat – that produces energy. In fact, solar panels will produce less energy when they are hot. Solar panels function best at a temperature of about 25°C. On warm days, their temperature can easily reach 60°C or more. Their efficiency decreases on average by around 0.4% per degree above 25°C. Solar panels operating at 60° thus lose about 14% of their efficiency.

A cooler roof will therefore boost the efficiency of your energy roof. It is therefore advisable to choose white coloured roofing such as IKO secura or IKO carrara. Both these bituminous roofing membranes are finished with a white granulate and titanium dioxide layer. They not only optimise the performance of the thermal roof insulation, but their cooling and reflecting effect also improves the efficiency of your solar panels. IKO secura also has fire retardant properties and is self-adhesive, making it easy and quick to install.

White roofing offers other advantages as well:

  • More comfortable indoor climate
  • Reduced building cooling cost
  • Longer lifetime due to smaller temperature variations

A sound roof structure is a must

For an energy roof the construction and the roof structure must be strong enough. The roof will be intensively walked on during installation and maintenance of the solar panels. The roof must also be able to support the extra weight of the system itself. You should therefore use insulation material with good pressure resistance and a roofing that can take rough handling. The IKO energy roof system with pressure resistant IKO enertherm insulation and a robust bituminous roofing are the perfect base for an energy roof that will give you many years of reliable service.

Tip! Want to know which roof structure is ideal for your energy roof? On the IKO website we have a handy tool that determines the best roof system for you in relation to the substrate and function of your roof. You can find this tool here.

Energy roofs have numerous advantages. That is why they have become a permanent fixture of the streetscape. Many people and businesses are already benefiting from the gains of an energy roof. This technology enables us to significantly save on energy costs and is also environment friendly. Installing an energy roof? Do not hesitate any longer!

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