Focus

• Photo courtesy of Dan Perkins Construction Inc., Ishpeming, Mich.

It's been said you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. Well, it seems the roofing industry is standing in front of a trough and becoming thirsty. As one of the oldest construction trades—and one that often has been skeptical of new techniques and systems—the roofing industry is ready to embrace the green building movement, let go of some of its hesitancy and welcome new opportunities.

At the 2007 International Roofing Expo held in March in Las Vegas, the trade show was full of exhibitors showing off products that address current demands for energy efficiency and sustainability, as well as environmentally friendly products.

And NRCA's SpecRight Program training session held the day before the trade show opened was sold out—contractors were eager to learn how to explain energy-efficiency issues to their clients.

It's obvious the demand for green building exists, and many roofing professionals and manufacturers are willing to meet that demand—not only through green roof systems but through reflective coatings, more efficient insulation, innovative design and quality application, and better and more frequent roof system maintenance.

In this issue—our green issue—you'll find numerous articles devoted to the green building movement. For instance, "A sunny future," page 28, focuses on the latest entry into the marketplace: photovoltaic roofing materials. And the Technical Elements column on page 24 provides some ways you can qualify for points under the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System.™

If you haven't yet considered the possibility of exploring the green building movement, you should, and NRCA, as well as other roofing industry organizations, can help. For more information, e-mail me at abailey@nrca.net or log on to www.specright.net.

Ambika Puniani Bailey is editor of Professional Roofing magazine and NRCA's director of communications.