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Energy-efficient roofing: what the Department of Energy and ENERGY STAR actually say
Short answer: a roof saves energy in two separate ways. A reflective surface sends sunlight away, and insulation under it slows heat that gets through. Federal sources agree on both, but the ENERGY STAR label for roof products was retired in 2022 and the federal home improvement credit stopped at the end of 2025, so older advice needs checking. This guide reads the primary sources and ends with questions to put to any roofer.
The numbers the sources give
These are the figures the federal pages publish, each with its own conditions. None of them is a prediction for a particular Arlington house.
| Source | What it covers | What it does not say |
|---|---|---|
| Berkeley Lab Heat Island Group (a Department of Energy lab) | Definition of a cool roof, surface temperature gap, winter heating penalty | A dollar saving for any house |
| ENERGY STAR Cool Roofs page | Reflectance and emittance, where cool roofs save more, rated product directory | A current roof label |
| EPA heat island page | Product types by slope, indoor temperature and peak demand ranges | A single number for cost |
| ENERGY STAR insulation guide | Retrofit R-values by climate zone | Whether your attic needs it, which depends on a measurement |
| Virginia Residential Code 2021 | Attic vent area, insulation clearance, ceiling R-value table | Anything about roof color |
Every source was opened on October 26, 2026. The Department of Energy pages were reorganized, so its insulation page was read from an archived 2025 copy.
The ENERGY STAR roof label, in dates
Many older articles, including an earlier version of this one, point readers to an ENERGY STAR roof rating. EPA's own letter shows why that needs rechecking.
- May 28, 2019EPA finalizes the sunset of the ENERGY STAR specification for roof products and stops accepting new partnership agreements.
- June 1, 2021Certification bodies stop certifying new roof product submittals, and no new promotional material using the mark may be produced.
- June 1, 2022Brand owners must stop using the ENERGY STAR name and mark with roof products.
The letter gives a reason in plain terms: stakeholders acknowledged how hard it is to apply a yes-or-no label to the complex question of cost-effective efficiency for the top of an individual home. EPA also said it would keep its Heat Island Reduction Program and keep educating consumers on cool roofs.
Three jobs: reflect, insulate, ventilate
Reflect: the roof surface
Berkeley Lab says a cool roof needs both high solar reflectance and high thermal emittance, and that the two are independent properties. EPA lists the steep-slope product families: asphalt shingles with light or cool-colored granules, tiles, coated metal shingles or tiles, and wood shingles, which it calls naturally cool. For low-slope roofs, ENERGY STAR describes the category as generally a pitch of 2:12 or less and names membranes, coatings and stone among the options, which is where TPO and EPDM membranes come in.
Insulate: the attic floor
The Department of Energy page explains that R-value measures resistance to conductive heat flow and that compressed insulation does not deliver its full rating. A radiant barrier works differently: it has no inherent R-value and reduces heat gain by reflecting, and the reflective face needs an air space to work.
Ventilate: the attic air
Virginia's residential code requires cross ventilation for enclosed attics, sets net free vent area at 1/150 of the vented space, and says insulation must not block the airflow at eave vents, with at least one inch between insulation and roof sheathing at the vent. Our roof ventilation guide goes further.
ENERGY STAR says cool roofs save more energy in hot sunny climates and on buildings with low levels of roof insulation.
ENERGY STAR, Cool Roofs page, paraphrasedThat caution is worth reading twice. A reflective surface and a well-insulated attic overlap in what they protect against, so the order of spending matters more than the label on the shingle. ENERGY STAR's own methodology page estimates average savings of 15% on heating and cooling, or 11% of total energy, from air sealing plus added attic, crawl space and rim joist insulation, based on modeling of an existing home built from 1970 to 1989. That is a national modeled average, not a promise for one house.
What fits Arlington
The Virginia Residential Code table lists Virginia as climate zone 4A with named exceptions, and Arlington is not among them. That puts the county in the zone where ENERGY STAR recommends R60 on an uninsulated attic floor and R49 where 3 to 4 inches are already there.
| Arlington building | What the sources point to | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|
| Detached house or townhouse with a pitched roof | Cool-rated shingles, tile or coated metal are the steep-slope options; check the attic R-value and vents first | 1940s subdivision roofs |
| Flat-roof apartment building | Low-slope membranes and coatings are the reflectance products EPA and ENERGY STAR list for flat roofs | Clarendon and Lyon Park flat roofs |
| Garden apartments on Columbia Pike | Decisions rest with the owner or association and the building's documents | Columbia Pike roofs |
| Historic or slate roof | Local review can govern a substitute material, so reflectance is a second question | Slate roofs |
Condo and co-op owners may not be able to pick a roof surface alone; see who decides on a condo or co-op roof. For permits, the county's residential table is summarized on the Arlington roofing hub. Berkeley Lab also notes glare: a bright roof on a low building can bother neighbors in taller ones, and it suggests a cool-colored roof there.
Where the tax credit stands
The IRS page for the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (page last reviewed April 28, 2026) states that the credit covers qualifying property placed in service on or after January 1, 2023 and before December 31, 2025. For the building envelope it names exterior doors, windows and skylights, and insulation and air sealing materials. Labor for envelope components does not qualify, and the home must be your main home.
Roof coverings are not on the IRS page's list of envelope items, and the dates it gives have passed. Treat any claim of a roofing credit as something to verify with the IRS or a tax professional, and see our roofing and insurance page for the separate insurance questions.
Which questions go to every roofer?
- Which rated product and color are in the quote, and where are its solar reflectance and thermal emittance listed?
- Does the quote say anything about the ENERGY STAR roof label, and if so, on what basis, given the 2022 end date?
- What is the attic floor insulation now, measured in inches and R-value, and does the scope touch it?
- Are eave vents clear, with the one-inch gap at the roof sheathing the code describes?
- If the building has low-slope sections, which membrane or coating system, and how is ponding water handled?
- Which Arlington permit row applies, and who pulls it?
Roofers of Arlington installs, repairs and replaces roofs, including metal systems, in Arlington and nearby. To talk through your building by phone, book a phone consultation. See also the roofing materials overview and roof replacement.
Every source opened for this guide
All opened October 26, 2026 unless marked.
- EPA letter on the sunset of ENERGY STAR roof products, May 28, 2019
- ENERGY STAR: Cool Roofs
- ENERGY STAR: Recommended Home Insulation R-Values
- ENERGY STAR: Methodology for Estimated Energy Savings
- Berkeley Lab Heat Island Group: Cool Roofs
- EPA: Using Cool Roofs to Reduce Heat Islands
- Department of Energy: Insulation (archived copy, 2025)
- IRS: Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit
- Virginia Residential Code 2021, Chapter 8, section R806 and Chapter 11 energy tables (third-party copy of the code)
- Cool Roof Rating Council product directory, linked from the ENERGY STAR page
Questions people ask
Is there still an ENERGY STAR label for roofs?
No. EPA's May 28, 2019 letter finalized the sunset of the ENERGY STAR roof products specification effective June 1, 2022, and told brand owners to stop using the mark on roof products from that date. A product that claims the label today deserves a question. The ENERGY STAR site still publishes cool roof guidance and insulation advice.
What is a cool roof, in one sentence?
A cool roof has high solar reflectance, meaning it sends sunlight away, and high thermal emittance, meaning it sheds the heat it does absorb. ENERGY STAR, EPA and Berkeley Lab all define it with those two properties.
Does roof color matter if the shingle is a cool-colored one?
Color still counts. ENERGY STAR says lighter roofs tend to have the best reflectance and emittance, while newer coatings give other colors high values too. Berkeley Lab compares a cool-colored roof reflecting 35 percent of sunlight with a look-alike traditional roof reflecting 10 percent. Ask for the rated numbers for the exact product and color.
Will a reflective roof cost me heat in winter?
Berkeley Lab says cool roofs can raise winter heating needs, but its study found that penalty small next to the summer cooling benefit, since winter sun is low and days are short. ENERGY STAR adds that cool roofs save more in hot sunny climates and on buildings with little roof insulation. Whether that fits your house depends on the attic insulation you have now.
How much attic insulation does the federal guidance recommend here?
For retrofits in climate zone 4A, ENERGY STAR recommends R60 where the attic floor is uninsulated and R49 where 3 to 4 inches already exist. Virginia's 2021 residential energy table lists R-value 60 for the ceiling in zone 4 outside the marine area, and Virginia is zone 4A except for the localities its table names, which do not include Arlington.
Does a new roof need a permit in Arlington?
The county's residential page says no building permit is needed when only the covering is replaced and the decking is untouched, or when decking replaced is under 256 square feet. See the Arlington hub guide for the full table, and confirm with the county for your address.
Can I claim a federal tax credit for an energy-efficient roof?
The IRS page for the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit names exterior doors, windows and skylights, and insulation and air sealing as envelope items, and allows the credit for property placed in service before December 31, 2025. It does not name roof coverings. Ask a tax professional about your situation.
Does a ventilated attic matter once the roof is reflective?
They are separate questions. Virginia's residential code sets the vent area for an enclosed attic at 1/150 of the vented space and requires that insulation not block airflow at eave vents. Reflectance does not replace that requirement.
Talk through your roof with Roofers of Arlington
Share the address, what you are seeing on the roof and the decision you need to make. We will tell you what to expect before anything is scheduled.