To find one of the hottest green trends, you'll have to look up. Metal roofing is becoming a popular alternative to old fashioned shingles. It comes with a list of eco-friendly benefits that begins with how it's made. On average a metal roof is made of 32 percent recycled materials.

"Once the use life is over, which would be decades from now, the metal roofing is recycled again," explained Ken Gieseke, Vice President of Marketing for McElroy Metal, Inc.

Metal roofs reflect heat from the sun, while shingles absorb it. Gieseke showed NBC 6 the impact of the sun on different types of roofing with a small scale demonstration.

"Here we're measuring two materials. One is a white metal roof like McElroy Metal has; the other is a shingle product. We're measuring the temperature difference of the two."

After an hour and a half, the shingle is 246 degrees. The metal roof is 160 degrees. That’s an 86 degree difference that adds up to lower energy costs.

Even Uncle Sam recognizes the value in metal roofing.

"Consumers can get a tax credit of up to 30 percent of the cost of the materials up to a maximum of 1500 dollars by putting an Energy Star rated metal roof on their home," added Gieseke.

A metal roof may cost more up front but the investment will pay off in reduced energy and replacement costs.

To learn more about metal roofing and green building, visit www.mcelroymetal.com