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Paints That Increase Energy Efficiency Of Your Building

October 21, 2020
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Paints That Increase Energy Efficiency Of Your Building

It is important to take all steps you can to boost energy efficiency and reduce running costs in your building as a commercial building manager. Although HVAC and lighting improvements are often thought of as big-ticket improvements, the role of a commercial paint is critical to keep an eye on.


Dark Vs Light Colors

If you're thinking of repainting your roof, the exterior colors will play a big part in your comfort all day long. Remember that darker colors tend to absorb heat from the sun, whereas lighter colors will reflect it away from the structure. This is critical as it will decide how warm or cool your commercial building stays, and when making that decision, it is vital that you consider your local weather.


Cool Roofs and Cool Walls

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a cool roof is designed to reflect more sunlight than a normal roof and it absorbs less heat.  They are made of a highly reflective type of paint, a sheet covering, or highly reflective tiles. In the summer heat, normal or dark roofs will hit temperatures around 150° F or more. A cool roof could remain more than 50° F cooler under the same conditions and save energy and money by using less air conditioning.


Although cool walls have no formal definition, they adopt the same notion and can work with cool roofs in tandem. Lighter colors may be used to reflect light, but there are no special paint coatings that keep a wall cool. Many large structures, including factories, distribution centers, and production centers, office buildings, and retail outlets, are prime candidates for cool roofs and walls.


Cool Roof for Old Buildings

In general, older commercial buildings can see tremendous benefits from cool roofs and cool walls. Such buildings may not be able to withstand cost-effective energy-efficient renovation. Research suggests that these buildings saw 3x-5x higher energy savings when cool walls and roofs were installed.


Benefits of Cool Roofs and Cool Walls

  • Helps to reduce energy bills by minimizing the need for air conditioning
  • Improving indoor comfort for non-air-conditioned rooms. 
  • Roof temperature decrease that can prolong the roof life.
  • Local air temperature drop in the area where the building is located.
  • Lower peak demand for electricity, which can help reduce power outages
  • Harmful emissions from power plants, including carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, mercury, etc are minimized by reducing the usage of cooling energy in buildings.


Just like any commercial exterior paint upgrade, the installation of cool roof and wall coatings to your building needs to be addressed by a team of professional painters. So, If you’ve found that your commercial building or your organization’s energy costs are increasing, get in touch with a Commercial Painting Company in West Hartford, Connecticut to increase your energy efficiency.


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