Federal bill would promote shifting to energy-efficient roofs

A bipartisan proposal from U.S. Reps. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., and Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., would make roof replacement cost less and would help commercial building owners adopt energy-efficient systems.

The “Roofing Efficiency Jobs Act” would cut the 39-year depreciation period of commercial roofs to 20 years.

With the average life span of a roof being 17 years, the 39-year period often leads business owners to make partial repairs, rather than fully replace roofs.This legislation aims to encourage more owners to fully replace roofs with more efficient materials.

“This is a jobs bill that has the added benefit of saving millions in energy costs with energy-efficient roofing systems,” Reed said.

More accessible energy-efficient roofing systems would reduce energy consumption by 11.4 trillion BTUs and reduce energy costs by millions of dollars, according to estimates.

(http://riponadvance.com/news/bill-make-energy-efficient-roofing-systems-accessible/7930)