Live in Strawberry Mansion and want a ‘cool roof’ coating? Here’s how to get one for free

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Summer temperatures in Philadelphia can be dangerously hot, and many Philadelphians struggle to afford their air conditioning bills.

Officials with the city’s Office of Sustainability and the Energy Coordinating Agency hope to chip away at both of these issues with a simple solution: painting roofs white.

The nonprofit, in partnership with the city, is launching a pilot program to test out the effectiveness of “cool roofs” on 150 homes in Philly’s Strawberry Mansion neighborhood.

Here’s how to get involved.

What is a ‘cool roof’?

Cool roof coatings, often white in color, are designed to reflect more of the sun’s energy than a traditional dark roof, which absorbs heat and transfers it into the building below.

“Most Philadelphia roofs, they’re flat and they’re usually black. Sometimes they’re silver-coated,” said Sofya Mirvis, chief operating officer at the Energy Coordinating Agency. “This is a bright white coating on the roof, and it does reduce the temperature inside the home in the summertime by several degrees, which really can make a big difference in terms of saving folks’ energy bills and also reducing energy burden.”

Research has estimated cool roofs can reduce peak cooling demand in air-conditioned buildings by up to 27%.

“Reflective coatings are generally great to avoid solar heat gain,” said Dorit Aviv, who directs the Thermal Architecture Lab at the University of Pennsylvania. “You coat the roof with a reflective coating and then the heat of the sun doesn’t go into the building. That’s extremely efficient.”

How does the pilot project work?

The Energy Coordinating Agency, in partnership with the city and the Strawberry Mansion Neighborhood Action Center, plans to install cool roof coatings on 150 roofs in the 19121 and 19132 ZIP codes.

The Energy Coordinating Agency will then monitor the temperature in some of those homes and analyze participating households’ utility bills for energy usage before and after the cool roofs were installed, to track the coatings’ effectiveness at cooling homes during the summer and reducing the need for air conditioning.

The project also aims to test whether clusters of cool roofs reduce the urban heat island effect and lower ambient temperatures in Strawberry Mansion overall. Project partners hope to coat roofs on entire blocks, then monitor the temperature outside of homes, Mirvis said.

The city has identified Strawberry Mansion as one of its hottest neighborhoods.

“Philadelphia is … hotter in certain pockets,” she said. “So by coating a batch of roofs, we can see if not only can we make a difference inside that person’s home, but can we make a difference in that neighborhood.”

Who qualifies for a free ‘cool roof’?

Residents of the 19121 and 19132 ZIP codes in Strawberry Mansion are eligible to apply for the pilot program, Mirvis said.

Both homeowners and renters can participate, but renters need notarized consent from their landlords.

There are no income restrictions on the program.

Roofs need to be in fairly good condition to receive the reflective coating. Mirvis said some minor roof issues could be repaired through the program, depending on the availability of funds, but roofs that need significant repairs will likely be rejected and referred to other programs that are focused on home repairs.

How to apply

To apply for the Strawberry Mansion cool roof pilot program, visit the Strawberry Mansion Neighborhood Action Center at 2829 W. Diamond St., or contact the center by phone or email.

You can also access the application directly through the Energy Coordinating Agency’s website, and submit a completed application by email to homeperformance@ecasavesenergy.org.