The power of ECO3 technology on your roof

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how SOPERMA’s ECO3 technology delivers a roofing solution that is both strong and sustainable.  

We’ve all probably seen air pollution in and around a city – that brown haze that settles over a skyline or the plume of gray smoke out of a chimney. But what you might not know is how dangerous the particles that make up that pollution can truly be. In fact, the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences estimates that “air pollution, in all forms, is responsible for more than 6.5 million deaths each year globally, a number that has increased over the past two decades.” It’s this very crisis that drove SOPREMA to develop their innovative ECO3 technology. 

What is ECO3 technology? 

SOPREMA’s ECO3 technology takes inspiration from nature and creates a low-slope, granule-surfaced membrane that is designed to mitigate air pollution. Fast facts about the ECO3 membranes:  

• 20,000 ft2 of ECO3 membrane on a roof is equivalent to the smog-fighting capacity of 130 trees.  
• The smog-reducing ability of ECO3 membranes is maintained over the life of the roof system.  
• For every 200 squares of ECO3 membrane on a roof, you're offsetting the approximate emissions of driving 8,500 miles per year. 

How does it work? 

In general, smog is caused by nitrogen oxides (NOx). These are harmful gases that form when fuels are burned. We burn fuel in our everyday lives, such as when cars are running or industrial plants operate. When NOx enters the atmosphere, they interact with Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOCs, and sunlight. The resulting chemical reaction creates smog that is harmful to humans, animals and plants. 

ECO3  technology uses a roofing granule (3M) that has a specialized photocatalytic coating. This coating reacts to the presence of sunlight and absorbs NOx before it can react with VOCs. After being absorbed by the coating, the NOx is oxidized and becomes water-soluble, non-harmful ions that wash off the roof when it rains.  

Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory conducted a study to ensure the efficacy of this technology and found that this “process reduces the amount of ground level pollutants, decreasing the greenhouse effect and creating healthier communities.” 

Learn more about SOPREMA’s ECO3  technology.