In the digital era, data centers are an increasingly critical and increasingly energy-hungry component of operational infrastructure. Globally, 10,978 data centers will soon hold 50% of the world’s total data and account for just over 2% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Thus, balancing durability with environmental impact is necessary when choosing construction materials for data centers. Metal roofing stands out for its long life and solar compatibility — making it a leading sustainable solution.
Metal roofing represents a significant advancement in data center construction, offering durability for long-term operational requirements. With a life expectancy that exceeds traditional roofing materials — typically ranging from 50 to 60 years — metal roofing matches the 30+ year lifespans of many solar technologies. Mismatched life cycle expectancies between roofing and solar products can lead to tear-off of a well-functioning solar array to replace a worn-out roof under the solar system.
In contrast, other common roofing materials such as EPDM and thermoplastic solutions fall far short of the 50-60 life expectancy of metal roofing and instead routinely offer a mere 20-year service life. Roof replacement frequency is a concern for any building owner; however, when considering the negative implications of service disruptions and equipment sensitivity for Data Center projects, it becomes critical to select roofing materials with the longest life expectancy and lowest maintenance. Metal roofing wins this contest hands down.
Metal roofing has high solar reflectance that effectively redirects UV light and minimizes heat absorption. This characteristic is particularly beneficial for data center constructions as it reduces a building’s thermal load and eases demand on cooling systems. Lower cooling requirements translate into substantial energy savings over the life of a structure. By enhancing energy efficiency, reflective metal roofs reduce operational costs and improve sustainability in data centers.
Metal roofs excel in adverse conditions and safeguard data centers against extreme events. Metal roofing:
These characteristics give data centers with metal roofing higher margins of guaranteed uptime and greater resilience against disasters and unforeseen events.
Integrating solar panels with metal roofing offers several benefits, including:
Additionally, metal roofs outlast most solar panel systems. This eliminates the need for a roof replacement during the lifespan of the solar array, improving the lifetime ROI of the entire system. The low profile and uniform color of thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solar panels make them suitable for metal roofs and appealing to needs for streamlined building-integrated applications. Moreover, installing solar panels on metal roofs doesn’t require penetration, mitigating the risk of leaks and their accompanying electrical hazards. Conversely, most other roofing systems require penetration of the roofing system to attach solar technologies.
With global data center energy consumption set to double by 2030 — in conjunction with demand spreading into more challenging environments — the combination of metal roofing and solar tech is poised to ease the transition in terms of performance and sustainability.
If you are considering metal roofing for your data center and would like to integrate solar technology for enhanced sustainability and efficiency, McElroy Metal offers a comprehensive range of solutions along with expert advice tailored to your project needs.