Tennessee lawmakers have advanced legislation that reflects what works for Tennessee’s climate and construction practices, rejects one-size-fits-all mandates not grounded in Tennessee-based research, and supports local businesses. The bill, signed on April 3rd, 2025, exempts the state from a mandate requiring highly reflective white roofs on commercial buildings.
Key Details
- The legislation exempts Tennessee from a small section (0.01%) of the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) requiring minimum reflectance levels on low-sloped roofs.
- The mandate lacked Tennessee-specific research supporting its efficacy for energy efficiency.
- The Senate passed the bill 29-0, and the House approved it 81-10, demonstrating broad legislative support.
Implementation
- The new state codes take effect April 17, 2025, and construction plans requiring State Fire Marshal’s Office approval may use previous codes until August 15, 2025.
- The exemption legislation becomes effective July 1, 2025, ensuring continuous choice in roofing materials.
Impact
- The bill impacts the roofing industry, non-residential building owners, and manufacturing companies that do a substantial amount of work in Tennessee.
- Architects, designers, consultants, specifiers, and installers in Tennessee will retain the freedom to choose the roofing materials that best suit their projects and climate zones—without being limited by a mandate for highly reflective white roofs.
About Coalition for Sustainable Roofing
COSUR (the Coalition for Sustainable Roofing) is an advocacy coalition representing leading U.S. roofing manufacturers committed to holistic roof system design and sustainable roofing assemblies. These manufacturers produce a wide variety of roof assembly components, including highly reflective white roofing. The coalition advocates for informed, system-level decisions and opposes overly restrictive policies not supported by local real-world performance and field-verified outcomes.