Why did the EPA create the ENERGY STAR program?
Ninety percent of the energy in the United States is generated by burning fossil fuels, which creates smog, acid rain and global climate change. By reducing the amount of energy needed to cool buildings, roofing products bearing the ENERGY STAR label help reduce these effects on the environment. Additionally, they can help reduce the urban heat island effect. Heat islands occur where many buildings and paved surfaces in close proximity are designed with dark materials that absorb heat from the sun. This can cause cities to actually become 2 to 8F warmer than the surrounding countryside.
