BATON ROUGE - After painting his roof white, one Spanish Town resident says it's saved him a considerable amount of money and kept his home cooler.

David Bryan moved into his Baton Rouge home three years ago. He painted his roof white after discovering his house wasn't cooling properly.

"In the afternoon, we were just getting cooked, and inside with the air conditioner running constantly, it would be about 90 degrees inside," said Bryan.

Knowing he had to do something to cool his home, he thought painting his roof white would be the most effective change - and it worked.

"Now the house is cooler and we're consuming less energy," he said.

A cool roof is recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy as an energy saver. A cool roof reflects more sunlight than a conventional roof, absorbing less solar energy. 

Bryan recently presented his findings to the East Baton Rouge Metro Council. He has seen a 16.6% decrease in energy consumption over the past year.

Bryan initially applied for a certificate or appropriateness through the Historic Preservation Commission to paint the roof. Spanish Town is an historic neighborhood and Bryan's home is about 100 years old. After the commission denied his request, he turned to the Metro Council for approval and moved forward with the project in 2023.

A cool roof does not have to be white, and other roofs in Spanish Town qualify as cool roofs. Bryan is the first to put paint on one in his neighborhood. The paint also offers another layer of protection for his roof, acting as a sealant against other elements. In Bryan's case, he used an Australian paint that works well with asphalt shingles. 

"It's supposed to keep your house warmer in the winter as well, because in the winter you're trying to keep heat in, so this seals it a bit more," he said.

Whether or not a cool roof can keep your home warm in the winter can depend on the environment in which you live and the type of cool roof you have.

The U.S. Department of Energy says painting a roof may extend the roof's life and could qualify you for a tax refund.