What materials are used to cool down a flat roof?

The surface of a cool roof reflects more sunlight and releases more heat than a so-called hot or dark roof. While the term "cool roof" is sometimes used to describe any roofing surface that is cooler than a standard rooftop, green certification programs such as LEED, Energy Star, the U.S. Green Building Council, and the Department of Energy Building Technology Program base their respective cool-roof credentials on a roofing material's ability to reflect the sun (solar reflectance) and release absorbed heat (emissivity). The higher the solar reflectance and emissivity (on a scale from 0 to 1), the cooler the roof.