Roof Albedo
- 0
- 0.05
- 0.10
- 0.15
- 0.20
- 0.25
- 0.30
- 0.35
- 0.40
- 0.45
- 0.50
- 0.55
- 0.60
- 1.00
Data Source: Berkeley Lab Heat Island Group
This roof has a high albedo and reflects about 60% of the energy from sunlight. On a sunny day, a roof that strongly reflects sunlight can stay much cooler than a roof that absorbs sunlight. Click on the green marker to view this building in Google Maps.
This building has a dark roof that absorbs sunlight and warms both the building and the surrounding air. The building has an albedo of about 0.15, meaning that about 85% of the solar energy is absorbed. Click on the yellow marker to view this building in Google Maps.
At noon on a clear summer day in the United States, a flat roof receives about 1000 watts of sunlight per square meter. Traditional dark roofs strongly absorb sunlight and: