Cool Roof Rebate Act of 2025
The Cool Roof Rebate Act of 2025 would create a Department of Energy program to provide rebates to eligible households for purchasing and installing eligible cool roof products. Introduced by Representatives Foushee, Cleaver, Ruiz, Jayapal, Thanedar, and Garcia of Texas, the bill sets per-square-foot rebate amounts that vary by roof slope (low-sloped versus steep-sloped) and by the performance characteristics of the roof product (solar reflectance, thermal emittance, and the Solar Reflectance Index). The program would run from 2026 through 2030, with a total annual funding of $25 million for the program and a separate $600,000 allocation to update the Cool Roof Calculator used to evaluate products. The bill also includes income and heat-risk criteria to determine eligibility, a provision allowing rebate stacking with other assistance, and a required post-program report to Congress. The program would terminate on September 30, 2030. Key technical terms include solar reflectance (how much sunlight a roof reflects), thermal emittance (how well a roof emits absorbed heat as infrared radiation), and the Solar Reflectance Index (a combined metric used by the Cool Roof Rating Council to rate roof products). Eligibility is tied to 3-year aged performance standards and CRRC ratings, and to income and heat-risk indicators defined by HUD and CDC data.
Key Points
- 1Establishes a DOE-administered rebate program for eligible households to offset the purchase and installation of eligible cool roof products on residential buildings.
- 2Rebates are value-based per square foot and vary by roof slope (low-sloped vs steep-sloped) and by product performance metrics:
- 3- Low-sloped roofs: rebates of $0.25 or $0.75 per sq ft depending on whether the product meets specific 3-year aged solar reflectance/thermal emittance thresholds or specific Solar Reflectance Index values.
- 4- Steep-sloped roofs: rebates of $0.25 or $0.75 per sq ft, with separate thresholds for asphalt shingles versus non-asphalt shingles.
- 5Defines eligibility standards for households (income up to 200% of area median income and located in ZIP Codes with high heat-health risk per CDC data; special rules apply for DC, Alaska, Hawaii, and territories until their regions are included in the CDC Heat and Health Index).
- 6Program termination date set for September 30, 2030, with a required Congress-facing report within 6 months after termination detailing participant usage (retrofit vs new roof), replaced products, and products purchased.
- 7Funding and administration: $25 million per year for 2026–2030 to run the program, plus $600,000 to update the Cool Roof Calculator used to determine product eligibility and performance; rebates can be combined with other grants or rebates.