Profile of Success

Energy Star® Labeled Roof
Products Case Study

An old, failing roof
was replaced with a
highly reflective,
insulated, single-ply
membrane roofing
system. The new
roof resulted in
increased comfort
and substantial
savings with no
additional cost for
the higher
performance.

Jefferson Houston Elementary School
Alexandria, Virginia

White EP Single-ply Insulated Roofing System
Stevens Roofing Systems

Project Manager:	Mark Krause

Facility Type:	Elementary School

Total Roof Area:	83,000 ft2

Project Costs

Total Expenditures

$330,000



Dollars Per Square Foot

$3.87



Extra Cost for High-

$0



Efficiency





Cost Savings

Annual Dollar Savings

$31,000



Dollar Savings Per Square Foot

$0.37



Simple Payback Period for
Increased Efficiency

Immediate



Energy Savings

Annual Energy Savings

514,000 kWh



Pollution
Prevention

Annual C02 Emissions

1,217,000 lbs.



Car Pollution Equivalent

122 cars

Jefferson Houston Elementary School, built in 1970, is a single-story,
83,000 ft building in Alexandria, Virginia. Local temperatures often
rise to a humid 100°F during the summer and drop to 10°F in the
winter. Until 1994, these heating and cooling demands were
managed by electric air-conditioning and electric-resistance heating
systems.

Larry Gilbertson, Director of Facilities, had analyzed the school's
historical energy expenses and determined that the school should
have an overall energy efficiency upgrade as soon as it could be

June 2000


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funded. By 1994, the existing EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) roof had reached the end of its
useful life. Mr. Gilbertson knew that the roof needed to be replaced at a low first cost, but he also
recognized the opportunity to lower the school's energy bills by specifying energy-efficient roofing
materials. Working with Project Manager Mark Krause, Gilbertson compared several options—built-up,
modified bitumen, EP (ethylene propylene), and metal—for replacing or repairing the roof, considering
both first costs and annual maintenance costs. Based on Krause's recommendation, Gilbertson specified a
white, insulated, reflective, 60-mil EP roof manufactured by Stevens Roofing Systems. The reflectivity
of the new roof, compared with the old roof, increased from less than 20 percent to 78 percent, and the
insulation value increased from R-10 to R-20. Because the existing roof had significant water ponding,
Gilbertson also elected to have roof drains installed. These drains not only prolong the life of the roof,
but also help maintain its reflectivity by enabling dirt to be flushed from the roof when it rains.

The cost of installing the EP material was no higher
than the cost of the alternate materials considered.

Furthermore, because the material is heat-welded, it
could be applied without substantial odors-an important
factor in protecting air quality in the classrooms.

As a result of installing this energy-efficient, insulated
roofing system, Jefferson Houston's energy costs fell to
a post-upgrade average of $90,000 per year from a pre-
upgrade average of $121,000—a reduction of $31,000
in annual energy costs. These savings are due to both
greatly reduced electric power demand and lower
electric energy consumption. The school realized these
savings despite a conversion of the interior courtyard
space in 1994 into additional classrooms, which
significantly increased the building's heating and
cooling demands. The white EP membrane accounted
for approximately 30 percent of the realized savings. Based on their energy-saving potential and ease of
installation, white, reflective, single-ply membrane materials have become the roofing product of choice
for Alexandria City Public Schools.

Following the new roofs installation, Krause upgraded the lighting, replaced the air-conditioning and
heating units, and installed an energy management system. The building's total energy bills decreased by
50 percent from $121,000 to $60,000 between 1994 and 1997, because of these comprehensive upgrades.

On Alexandria City Public Schools' partnership with ENERGY STAR Labeled BuildingsSM, Gilbertson
remarked: "I appreciate EPA's efforts to continue providing unbiased technical information to us. We
have a good source to go to for information not only about selecting roofing products, but also about
financing projects, communicating our success to the community, and selecting other types of energy-
efficient building options."

To learn more about ENERGY STAR Labeled Roofing products, go to http.V/www. enerevstar. vov. or call the toll-free ENERGY

STAR Hotline at 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).

"We've been using this particular
reflective product in a number of
other schools. It goes on without
odors, so we can install it while the
kids are still in class. It is also easy
to install, so it has become the
material of choice for us."

— Mark Krause,
Supervisor, Design
and Construction

June 2000


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