Energy Star® Coatings reflect fully 50% of Solar energy with a new technology of colour infused nano ceramics that reflect heat by selective reflection of infrared light...

 
 

The electromagnetic radiation from the Sun that strikes the Earth consists of radiation in the wavelengths of about 300 nanometres (nm) to 2500 nanometres. The wavelength region below 400 nanometres is called Ultraviolet (UV).

The UV is responsible for sun burn to our bodies and causes degradation to paints and construction surfaces. The Visible region, 400 to 700 nanometres, is the area where the human eye is attuned to see light in all its various colours.

The final area from 700 to 2500 nanometers is the Infrared (IR) region. These longer wavelengths are invisible to the eye, yet contain about half of the solar energy which strikes the earth (see Figure 1).

 

The Human eye can see different colours by selective reflection in the visible region, in other words, we see a red colour because the radiation in the red portion of the visible spectrum is reflected; the remaining radiation in the visible range is more or less absorbed. We can not see in the infrared region of the spectrum, so the human eye can not determine what is going on there by sight.  But, we can feel the effects of its energy in the form of heat.

Touch your bitumen driveway, climb on a black tiled roof, or place your hand on your black vehicle when it's been out in the sun for a while. It's quite HOT!  In fact, some dark coloured roofing and side wall can attain a temperature of  88 degrees Celsius or more.  Why? well it's because these materials absorb a large portion of the infrared radiation from the Sun.

Look at the second chart (Figure 2). We show a standard black acrylic paint versus Energy Star® acrylic paint. Notice the difference in the curves. The normal black paint absorbs the radiation across the whole solar spectrum, where Energy Star® black reflects in the invisible Infrared portion. The colour appears black in the visible portion of the spectrum, but reflects in the invisible Infrared portion. This results in significantly less solar energy being absorbed, which means less heat build-up.
 
 

The charts below are 2 more examples of a conventional dark and a light coloured acrylic paint compared to Energy Star® acrylic paints in identical colour’s. Notice the difference in the curves. Even on the Off White graph, for a colour that is near white, the same invisible Infrared portion of Solar radiation and it’s heat are reflected.

These graphs are actual samples of Spectral Reflectance data recorded during product testing to ASTM E-903. NOTE: See Solar Reflectance Test Reports to ASTM C1549 for more comparative data between standard and Energy Star® paints.