New thermal insulation coating system can cool down buildings and make them more energy efficient.

A new thermal insulation coating system that can cool down buildings and make them more energy efficient has been launched by AkzoNobel in China.

Featuring a radiative cooling topcoat and a thermal radiation barrier mid-coat, the technology from the company's Decorative Paints business acts like a sunscreen. It means the surface temperature of buildings can be lowered by up to 10% during hot summer months, compared with using conventional coatings*.

The passive radiative cooling process the system uses involves emitting heat lost through thermal radiation into outer space. It¡¯s expected to significantly enhance energy-saving performance ¨C particularly when renovating existing buildings ¨C and has been successfully tested on several buildings in the Lingang section of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone.

¡°This is a significant breakthrough in architectural coatings and opens up new avenues for energy-efficient building renovations,¡± says Karen Yin, director of the company¡¯s Decorative Paints China North Asia business and president of AkzoNobel China. ¡°We aim to provide consumers with safer, more sustainable and comfortable living environments, while contributing to China¡¯s dual-carbon policy, which is focused on both controlling total carbon emissions and carbon emissions intensity.¡±

The mid-coat uses advanced aerogel insulation materials, which have extremely low thermal conductivity, helping to effectively block the transmission and penetration of heat. The topcoat is an upgraded version of heat-reflective coatings, offering higher reflectivity to further reduce solar heat absorption. Both of these coatings are low-VOC and fully water-based.

¡°The science behind these ¡®cool coatings¡¯ might be complex, but the effect is easily explained,¡± Yin noted. ¡°A ¡®normal¡¯ exterior coating will heat up in the sun, because it still absorbs some sunlight. A heat-reflective coating will heat up less, because it absorbs less sunlight. Our new cool coatings don¡¯t heat up at all, because they barely absorb any sunlight and efficiently radiate the heat away.¡±

* Performance validated by AkzoNobel's internal testing. The coating system reduces surface temperatures and minimizes heat transfer from the exterior to the interior, achieving a temperature reduction of up to 10% based on the climate and color offering.