FRESNO, CALIF. — The Fresno laboratory facility of Architectural Testing, Inc. (ATI), a complete testing center for solar performance of the entire building envelope, has been accredited by the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) as an Accredited Independent Testing Laboratory (AITL). ATI will be one of the seven AITL companies nationwide.

The laboratory is now authorized to test roofing materials of all types for key properties of solar reflectance and thermal emittance. Reflectance is the ability to reflect the visible, infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths of the sun. Thermal emittance is the ability to radiate absorbed, or non-reflected, solar energy. Higher readings in these parameters qualifies a roofing system as a “cool roof,” defined as one capable of reducing solar heat transfer into the building below, resulting in reduced energy costs and longer AC unit life because of reduced air-conditioning load, and increased roof longevity due to reduced thermal flux. The measurements can be combined by calculation to determine the Solar Reflective Index (SRI), a parameter cited by the U.S. Green Building Council and others. For aged ratings, product samples are exposed for three years at a CRRC Approved Test Farm.

A growing number of building codes are offering credits for using cool roof materials. As a result, cool roof products are being specified by architects to save energy, satisfy building codes and meet client expectations for comfort, cost and aesthetics. In addition, cool roofs can improve air quality by mitigating the urban heat island effect due to the reduction of ambient air temperatures.