Another important characteristic of TPO membrane is its high level of reflectivity. Because of this, white TPO membranes can meet and even substantially exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR performance levels. Those ENERGY STAR marks that have been posted on refrigerators, water heaters and other appliances for years now can be seen on rolls of white TPO membrane. White TPO membranes typically display reflectivity ratings in the high 80 percent range when new (ENERGY STAR specifications require 65 percent minimum) and in the low 80 percent range after three-year rooftop exposure with cleaning (ENERGY STAR specifications require 50 percent minimum). TPO membranes are highly resistant to mold and algae growth, which can degrade the overall reflectivity of the roof and reduce anticipated energy savings.
This is probably a part of your home that you don’t think about so often, but that’s only because you don’t see what damage can happen without them. If they are doing what they are supposed to do, keeping water away from the house and soaking up into the walls, then you really won’t notice how important they are at all. However, this means you should keep an eye on its periodic maintenance as damage to roof gutters can spell out disaster for your entire home.