In 1995, researchers painted the roof of Our Savior's Elementary School in Cocoa Beach white, triggering a 10% drop in chiller energy use and a 35% reduction in peak demand the following year. The study, conducted by the Florida Solar Energy Center, tracked the school's cooling system performance before and after the roof was coated with an acrylic white elastomeric finish. The results, documented in a report, became a key early example of how reflective roofs can cut energy costs.
The school's original roof was 10,000 square feet of gray modified bitumen with a solar reflectance of 23%. Researchers monitored its thermal performance for a year before applying three coats of the white coating, which boosted reflectance to 68%. Even after a year of weathering and dirt, the roof maintained a reflectance of 63%. Data showed the chiller's electrical demand during peak hours fell from 16.2 kW to 10.6 kW between 3-4 p.m. EST.
The study's design was critical. By collecting a full year of data before the coating, researchers could separate the roof's effect from seasonal weather variations. Without that baseline, they couldn't confirm whether the energy savings were due to the coating or just a mild summer. The project was part of a broader effort to test cool roof technologies in Florida's hot climate.
Over the year after the coating, the school saved 13,000 kWh of electricity. Researchers noted that the immediate impact on the chiller was clear, with peak demand reductions appearing quickly. The findings helped establish the concept of reflective roofs as a practical energy efficiency measure, influencing later building codes and sustainability practices.
Today, the study is cited in academic papers and industry reports as one of the first field demonstrations of cool roof benefits. The school, now decades older, still stands as a quiet testament to how a simple paint job can yield measurable energy savings in a region where air conditioning accounts for a large share of electricity use.