A roof is a building's first line of defense in controlling energy consumption. A solar reflective coating is a roof surface coating that lowers the surface temperatures of the roof dramatically, resulting in greater comfort inside the building and less demand on air conditioning equipment, resulting in lower energy costs. These solar reflective coatings are typically a white roof coating consisting of a polymeric binder blended with pigments and other additives or silver containing asphalt, pigment flakes and pure aluminum resulting in a silver reflective coating. Solar reflecting coatings provide two main benefits: 1) protection of roof membranes, for longer roof life cycles; and 2) reflectivity of solar radiation (amount of solar energy that is reflected away from a surface), for lowering of air conditioning costs. That is the key advantage offered by a white solar reflective roof surface. Testing conducted on a sunny day at 100°F ambient temperature shows that the surface temperature of a roof topped with a black membrane can reach 180°F while a gravel roof can be as hot as 145°F. A roof with a solar reflective coating will reflect the sun’s heat, staying significantly cooler at 90°F, contributing to a cooler indoor environment and reducing peak cooling demand up to 15 percent. As "green" building standards become a standard spec, products that contribute to reduced environmental impact become more necessary in the industry.