Long before ‘cool roofs’ became popular in climate circles, a small strip mall on US Highway 1 in Cocoa, Florida was already conducting a scientific experiment without even realizing it. Between 1996 and 1997, a team from the Florida Solar Energy Center painted the metallic roofs of seven occupied shops with bright white color and observed what happened next. According to the FSEC's "Demonstration of Cooling Savings of Light Colored Roof Surfacing in Florida Commercial Buildings: Retail Strip Mall" report, the roof surface, which would often heat above 170°F on matched hot summer days, became as much as 70°F cooler once coated.
Why a metal roof turns into a frying pan
