Feature story

Helping the world stay cool

Reducing energy consumption with up to 40%

June 2020

Keeping buildings cool is an increasing challenge amid climate change and the higher frequency of heatwaves. In particular, there is a drive to find ways of keeping buildings cool without relying on air conditioning, which is itself a contributor to climate change.

Combining reflectivity with a high degree of flexibility

According to several scientific studies, air conditioning in urban areas accounts for up to 70% of residential energy consumption in warm areas of the world. This is concentrated to a few hours of the day, and the peak energy demand puts high stress on power distribution systems. It also contributes to the increase of CO2 levels in the atmosphere when fossil fuels are used for energy production.

One proven approach to reducing temperatures in buildings is via the use of highly solar reflective ‘cool’ roof coatings. Traditional dark-colored roofing materials absorb sunlight, which in turn transfers heat to a building. Cool roof coatings use light-colored (usually white), highly reflective materials to regulate building temperatures while reducing electricity demand, which in some cases can result in energy consumption savings of more than 40 percent.

Cool roofs can also reduce the "heat island" effect in cities and suburbs, a phenomenon that produces higher temperatures in densely populated areas as well as associated smog and carbon emissions.

However, cool roof coatings face a challenge in that they must combine reflectivity with a high degree of flexibility.  “In addition to temperature reduction, it is important that the coating sticks well to the surface and expands and contracts with it as temperature levels change,” said Patrick Wilhelm, Vice President of Colloidal Silica at Nouryon.

Nouryon recently introduced a new solution to address that challenge by combining two of its essential functional additives, Expancel® and Levasil®, to elastomeric cool roof coatings.

When produced with Nouryon’s Expancel expandable thermoplastic microspheres, cool roof coatings can bring down the external surface temperature of a building by as much as 15 degrees Celsius (27 degrees Fahrenheit*). “Adding Levasil colloidal silica improves the stickiness and mechanical properties of the coating without sacrificing elasticity and flexibility, and thanks to its self-cleaning properties it also extends the life of the coating,” Wilhelm said.

Enhancing performance of cool roof coatings

Our cool roof coatings solution enhance the performance by improving solar reflectance, elasticity, adherence and dirt pick-up resistance

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Want to read more about why air conditioning is a vicious circle? View this article from The Guardian
woman sitting at a café looking at her smartphone. Man in the backround is eating. out of focus, bicycles are passing by on the street.

Levasil® colloidal silica

We provide customers with a reliable supply of high and consistent quality colloidal silica. Discover our broad Levasil® portfolio of innovative solutions.

Cool roof coatings

Expancel® microspheres are optimal for developing highly flexible cool roof coatings and Levasil® colloidal silica enhances the anti-soiling properties.

Launching elastomeric cool roof coatings solution

6 May 2020 - News

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