Roof Replacement to Save Energy and Recycle Materials
The yellow outline indicates areas of the roof renovation that are complete or in progress.
NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) is replacing 1.9 million square feet of traditional roofing
with a new, energy-efficient roofing system. The $40 million roof
replacement project is part of a $557 million capital improvement plan
and will be under construction until mid-2024.
“We are taking a comprehensive approach to enhancing and transforming
our massive facilities in order to elevate the visitor experience and
reduce our environmental footprint here at the Convention Center —
from new technology inside to new exterior greenspaces and a fantastic
new heat-deflecting roof,” said Michael J. Sawaya, Convention Center
President/CEO. “This is an essential upgrade to not only improve and
protect our facilities, but also to significantly advance our
sustainability goals.”
Utilizing new commercial roofing technology, robots have begun spraying
polyurethane foam insulation directly onto the roof’s surface to
maximize efficiency, safety, and savings. The coating of insulation is
expected to raise the energy efficiency rating, or R-value, by nearly 10
points and deliver significant energy savings. Once insulated, a “cool
roof” material will seal the upgraded system. The highly reflective
sheen will divert heat away from the building. It’s similar to a
process used on the roof of the Caesar’s Superdome and is especially
effective in urban areas where temperatures are usually higher than in
suburban and rural areas.
The new roof will advance the Convention Center’s sustainability goals
and help maintain its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) Gold certification status while still meeting all requirements
for durability and safety in all weather conditions, including
hurricanes. In addition, the contractors are recycling approved
materials from the previous roof. The existing rock ballast has already
been cleaned and reused in parking lots. Recycling this material has
saved approximately 1,600 tons of rocks from landfills. We are also
improving select gutters and downspouts so they can continue to divert
up to 90 percent of rainwater runoff directly into the Mississippi
River, reducing strain on New Orleans’ drainage system.
Roof construction will not impact Convention Center guests or events.
The Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority authorized
funding for the roof project in January 2023.
About the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC)
New Orleans is _Built to Host_! With 1.1 million square feet of prime
exhibit space on one level, all under one roof, NOENMCC is the sixth
largest Convention Center in the United States and provides the largest
single exhibit space in the country. NOENMCC is a 2023 IAVM Venue
Excellence recipient and is consistently named a regional top workplace
by The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. Our recent LEED Gold
certification makes NOENMCC the largest LEED-certified project in
Louisiana and the largest convention center project in the U.S.
certified under LEED v4.1 Operations and Maintenance, as well as the
first convention center in the world to be awarded initial certification
under LEED Gold v4.1 O+M. A leading contributor to the city’s robust
tourism economy, NOENMCC event activity has produced $90.1 billion in
economic impact since its 1985 opening.
