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The Fresno laboratory facility of Architectural Testing Inc., a comprehensive testing center for solar performance of the entire building envelope, announced that it has been accredited by the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) as an Accredited Independent Testing Laboratory (AITL).
The action makes Architectural Testing Inc. one of seven laboratories nationwide that is accredited by the CRRC, the company said. As a result, the laboratory is authorized to test roofing materials of all types for the key properties of solar reflectance and thermal emittance. Higher readings in these measurements qualifies a roofing system as a “cool roof,” or a roof capable of reducing solar heat transfer into the building below. Reduced heat transfer results in lower energy costs and longer air-conditioning unit life due to reduced load, and increased roof longevity due to reduced thermal flux.
The reflectance and emittance measurements also can be combined by calculation to determine the Solar Reflective Index (SRI). For aged ratings, product samples are exposed for three years at a CRRC-approved test farm.
A growing number of building codes and standards, including ASHRAE Standard 90.1, California Title 24 building energy-efficiency standards, and a number of city building codes incorporate cool-roof provisions. Green-building programs, such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® rating system, offer credits for use of cool-roof materials. As a result, cool-roof products are increasingly being specified by architects. In addition, cool roofs can also mitigate the urban heat-island effect due to the reduction of ambient air temperatures.
Architectural Testing Inc. offers a package of laboratory testing and exposure farm testing via subcontract. (CRRC rules do not permit solar farm testing by the same entity performing laboratory testing.)
More information: www.archtest.com.
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