Green Scope: Sky’s the limit when you’ve got a cool roof

In 2011, fresh from completing his studies in Environmental Science, Sam Burton was sitting in the surf in between sets, looking back at dry land, wondering how on earth he was going to apply his studies towards making the world a greener place, and perhaps even more importantly, how he was going to make a living. 

He probably didn’t know it then, but the sight of all those brown roofs basking in the harsh Aussie sunshine must have started searing in his mind, tailor made for absorbing heat rather than reflecting it, rendering suburban homes far warmer than they need be, driving up energy costs and air-conditioner-dependency.

“Environmental science is an awesome degree,” says Sam. “But the harsh reality of leaving university and finding employment in that field, it can be very challenging.”

In partnership with his good mate Kieran Regan and with advice and assistance from his older brother Tom, Sam founded Green Scope, focused on exploring sustainability endeavours before quickly realising the potential that enhanced roofing technology could have for the environment, while also being a commercial success. 

It was actually Sam’s brother Tom who first cottoned on to cool roof technology. “Sam and I have always been very mindful of our carbon footprint, and wanting to be smart in how we operate and have a positive impact,” says Tom. “It was a podcast originally that alerted me to the impact of urban heat islands, of a roof’s ability to drastically reduce energy costs associated with air-conditioning of a home, as well as reduce overall temperatures of a neighbourhood.”

While solar panels on rooftops have received a lot of attention for their ability to generate electricity, the cool roofs are able to reduce your energy bills by 42% thanks chiefly to decreased consumption, with indoor temperatures up to 4 degrees cooler diminishing the need for air-conditioning. 

The cool roofs have also been shown to reduce outdoor temperatures in the surrounding vicinity by up to 2.5 degrees, an essential asset in the fight against urban heat islands. This problem has become so severe that in areas of Sydney local councils enforce all new building applications to use light colour cool roofs, attempting to curb the creation of unnecessary heat from darker coloured, older technology roofs. 

“Growing the business to an awesome team of 6 and looking to further expand, being able to view the Beaches from all manner of superb rooftop vantage points every working day, and having a positive impact towards overall lower energy consumption, I’m really pleased I made the decision to go down this path,” says Sam. 

If you’ve got a leaky roof that you’ve been meaning to replace for a while, or your power bills have become so extortionate that it’s no longer a laughing matter, it’s forcing you to change your entire home budget, or you just want to be cool as ice, perhaps the time is right to give Sam a call at Green Scope. The team work quickly too, so the imminent summer of El Nino heatwaves and minimal rainfall can become all the more bearable with a cool roof up top.