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Facts is facts
I once knew a roofer whose daughter set up an experiment with a 100 watt light bulb as a heat source, and tested composition roofing materials from white through black. Here someone has done the experiment with a house.
I had to arm-wrestle my builder into submission to put a gray mixed composition roof on our house. I wanted white (with medium gray stone bricks, black and dark gray trim, reddish mahogany front door) but even my then-spouse wanted something other than white -- or black.
Our 5 ton A/C unit kept both floors comfortable, using a central stairs column as a heat draw (along with a roof vent). We rarely had an electric bill over $100 a month. And that was eight years ago. I have friends paying over $500 right now, and two couples who are in trouble over their utility bills. Both parties work, only one has a child to keep cool.
http://www.antirad.com/rooftest/
This house taught me the different between a tree on the west side, and no tree. THe temp dropped 15-20 degrees in the master bath after the chinaberry tree got high enough to block the sun. (Yes, I know, chinaberries, ugh -- but the ashe to one side is probably big enough now that they can cut down the chinaberry.)
I had to arm-wrestle my builder into submission to put a gray mixed composition roof on our house. I wanted white (with medium gray stone bricks, black and dark gray trim, reddish mahogany front door) but even my then-spouse wanted something other than white -- or black.
Our 5 ton A/C unit kept both floors comfortable, using a central stairs column as a heat draw (along with a roof vent). We rarely had an electric bill over $100 a month. And that was eight years ago. I have friends paying over $500 right now, and two couples who are in trouble over their utility bills. Both parties work, only one has a child to keep cool.
http://www.antirad.com/rooftest/
This house taught me the different between a tree on the west side, and no tree. THe temp dropped 15-20 degrees in the master bath after the chinaberry tree got high enough to block the sun. (Yes, I know, chinaberries, ugh -- but the ashe to one side is probably big enough now that they can cut down the chinaberry.)