A self-storage building expansion at AA Storage at Shackleford will be the first of its kind in Arkansas to incorporate green technology in the building design.

Construction on the 31,050-square-foot expansion in Little Rock begins this month, with completion expected by July 2011. The expansion is on the same property as the companys existing facility at 4324 South Shackleford Road. The addition will include one climate-controlled building and two conventional non-climate buildings.

The climate-controlled building will incorporate an energy-efficient metal-roof system thats expected to reduce radiant heat by up to 40 percent while doubling the life expectancy of traditional composition roofs, according to David Dodge, president of Paramount Metal Systems. The building will be an engineered steel structure thats being designed by Paramounts design team.

The climate-controlled building design incorporates new roof technology using a combination of THERMAXTM rigid foam insulation and FROTH-PAKTM Foam Sealant products from Dow Building Solutions, cool metal roofing-reflective paint, and controlled ventilation, Dodge said. Energy usage will be reduced significantly.

Paramount Metal Systems recently completed a project for the Department of Energys Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tenn., on an existing 50-year-old building using this and other green technologies. Preliminary results showed a 75 percent reduction in heat gain, resulting in lower cooling requirements, Dodge said. ORNL will partner with Paramount to monitor heat flow at the new climate-controlled self-storage structure to quantify results from this roof design technology.

Dodge adds that by reducing the thermal requirements, it will also reduce the size and the investment in the heating, cooling and ventilation systems, which will enhance the return on investment.

Roof designs of this type may qualify for a variety of sustainable-building programs, including federal tax credits as well as local state incentives.

Paramount Metal Systems is a design/build contractor specializing in pre-engineered steel structures and metal-roof systems for new and existing buildings. The company has offices in Little Rock, Rossville, Tenn., and Austin, Texas.