Energy and Buildings 42 (2010) 17–22

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Energy and Buildings

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Estimating thermal performance of cool colored paints

Kai L. Uemoto a,*, Neide M.N. Sato b, Vanderley M. John a
a
University of São Paulo - Escola Politécnica, Department of Civil Construction Engineering, Av. Prof. Almeida Prado - Trav. 2, no 271, Zip code 05508-900, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
b
Nove de Julho University, Civil Engineering and Architecture Department, São Paulo, Brazil, Av. Dr. Adolpho Pinto, 109, Zip code 01156-050, São Paulo - SP, Brazil

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: The purpose of this study is to investigate the thermal performance of cool colored acrylic paints
Cool paints containing infrared reflective pigments in comparison to conventional colored acrylic paints of similar
Non-white cool paints colors (white, brown and yellow) applied on sheets of corrugated fiber cement roofing. Evaluated
Complex inorganic colored pigments (CICP) properties are: color according to ASTM D 2244-89, the UV/VIS/NIR reflectance according to ASTM E 903-
Solar reflectance
96, and thermal performance by exposure to infrared radiation emitted from a lamp with the
Fiber cement roofing sheets
Infrared reflective pigments
measurement of surface temperatures of the specimens with thermocouples connected to a data logging
Thermal comfort system.
Results demonstrated that the cool colored paint formulations produced significantly higher NIR
reflectance than conventional paints of similar colors, and that the surface temperatures were more than
10 8C lower than those of conventional paints when exposed to infrared radiation. The study shows that
cool paints enhance thermal comfort inside buildings, which can reduce air conditioning costs.
ß 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
The incidence of Urban Heat Island, a phenomenon caused
mainly by the removal of natural vegetation and its replacement
with buildings and paved surfaces [1], is increasing in large
metropolitan centers and produces temperatures exceeding 10 8C
above those in surrounding areas [2]. Building roofs are great
absorbers of heat from solar radiation and temperatures collected
in areas with pavement and roofs reached 30–45 8C while the
surrounding areas with vegetation had temperatures between 16
and 26 8C, a difference of approximately 20 8C [3].
The use of highly reflective ‘‘cool’’ coatings helps maintain
lower exterior surface temperatures of roofs and building façades
and consequently contributes to increased indoor thermal comfort
during the hot season, which reduces the need for cooling. This
technique for improving thermal comfort inside buildings [4] is
low cost, effective, easy to apply, energy efficient and helps reduce
the phenomenon of Urban Heat Island (UHI) [1].
The necessity for cool non-white products arose because heat-
absorbing darker colors, which are often preferred for aesthetic
reasons, contribute to UHI and because they serve as a glare control
remedy for avoiding ‘‘white blight’’ [5]. This led to the development
of cool paints of darker colors, but such special pigment still
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +55 11 3091 5789; fax: +55 11 3091 5544.
E-mail addresses: kai.loh@poli.usp.br (K.L. Uemoto), neide.sato@uninove.br
(Neide M.N. Sato), vanderley.john@poli.usp.br (V.M. John).
reflected solar radiation [1]. Studies by Akbari et al. [6] showed that
raising the solar reflectance of a roof from 0.1–0.2 to 0.6 can reduce
the amount of energy needed to cool a building by more than 20%.
The use of cement-based materials in roofs and walls is
common in tropical climates as they are highly resistant to severe
weather. However, unprotected cement-based materials manifest
undesirable thermal properties [7] after a short time of use.
Comparative studies have demonstrated that concrete tile painted
with reflective coatings can present thermal performances super-
ior to those of white marble and mosaic tiles, both considered cool
materials [8].
The effect of weathering can interfere with the thermal
performance of the reflective coatings and decrease the albedo.
Studies by Bretz and Akbari [9] showed a decrease in albedo of 0.15
during the first year, and much more gradual decreases after this
period. Over time, changes in albedo depend more on the
formulation of the paint itself, the slope of the roof and the
environment. Microorganism growth [10] and ‘‘dirt pick-up’’ are
frequently observed in industrial cities and tropical climates causing
premature staining, alterations in appearance and reductions in the
thermal performance of buildings. Available data concerning the
durability of these materials is quite limited and reference to
international data is a common practice. However, such data is often
not adequate for direct comparative evaluations because of local
differences such as climate, microclimate, materials, costs, char-
acteristics of the constructive systems, etc. [11].
Fiber cement roofing is widely used in developing, tropical
countries. This material is common in low-cost housing, industrial

0378-7788/$ – see front matter ß 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2009.07.026
18 K.L. Uemoto et al. / Energy and Buildings 42 (2010) 17–22
and farm buildings. The relevance of its use has served as
motivation for the study of the thermal performance of cool
colored acrylic paints, composed of infrared reflective pigments, in
comparison to conventional colored acrylic paints of similar colors
applied on fiber cement corrugated roofing.
2. Reduction of roof surface temperature
In order to study the mechanisms to reduce roof temperatures
using cool paints, it is important to consider the mechanisms of
heat transfer through roofs. Heat is transferred through a roof by
conduction, convection, and radiation. These heat exchanges can
be reduced by an adequate selection of roofing materials and
components. There is limited possibility to modify the convective
component of heat because it is strongly dependent on the
incidence of wind, which leaves the alternative strategy of
reducing the conductive and radioactive components. Insulating
ceilings primarily restricts conduction. Heat transference by
radiation can be decreased by reducing the absorption of solar
energy through the use of highly reflective materials on external
surfaces, or by decreasing the amount of long-wave thermal energy
radiated to the interior of the buildings through the use of low-
emissivity material applied to the internal surface of roofs. The
emission qualities of the external painted surface help cool the roof
by irradiating absorbed energy reversely.
Non-metallic inorganic materials such as fiber cement tiles are
greatly emissive and, when painted with highly reflective paints,
they contribute to a reduction of external surface temperatures
and restrict the flow of heat to the inside environment. Replacing
the pigments of conventional paints with ‘‘cool pigments’’ modifies
the absorption of infrared radiation.
3. Complex inorganic colored pigments (CICPs)
Paints have four main constituents: binder, solvents, additives,
and pigment, which are the major component. Pigment not only
provides color, but it also controls gloss, hiding power, strength,
and permeability of the paint film. It also absorbs and reflects
different parts of the sun’s wavelength spectrum due to its
chemistry and mineralogy. There are two basic classes of
conventional pigments: organic, with a rather limited service life
(lightfast) and opacity, and inorganic, which are generally more
durable and less susceptible to the photochemical degradation
caused by the ultraviolet light present in solar radiation. Inorganic
pigments also have more stability under higher temperatures and
are chemically inert to acids, alkali, etc.
In addition to the conventional inorganic pigments, there are
several other special classes of non-conventional inorganic
pigments for producing energy-efficient colored paints. The most
important technology in the production of cool paints is the
formulation with complex inorganic colored pigments (CICPs) or
mixed metal oxide (MMO) pigments [6]. This special group of non-
conventional pigments presents spinel structure and is known for
its highly visible opacity [5] and high reflectance in NIR radiation.
These pigments also present a long service life in normal
environments, are heat stable and chemically inert.
Paints colored with conventional pigments tend to absorb
infrared radiation. However, when these pigments are replaced
with CICPs, the paint presents greater solar reflectance and thermal
emissivity and thus absorbs less infrared radiation.
4. Experiment
This study used two sets of equivalent colored acrylic latex
paints for comparative testing: one formulated with conventional
pigments and the other with ‘‘cool’’ pigments (CICPs). The
performance of coatings was evaluated in laboratory. The cool
paints were comparatively tested to color-matched, convention-
ally pigmented coatings and the results were correlated.
4.1. Paint samples
An industrial collaborator formulated and supplied three paints
with conventional pigments and three with CICPs, producing each
one in three colors: white, brown, and yellow.
4.2. Specimen preparation
The tests were performed on ‘‘free’’ films (Fig. 1a); unpainted
specimens (STD) used as standard, and painted specimens (Fig. 1b).
Specimens came from fiber cement roofing sheets.
The film was obtained by applying the liquid paint to
polyethylene films using an applicator with nominal wet thickness
of 600 mm. After drying for seven days in laboratory conditions
(25 8C, RH 50%), the paint film was separated from the
polyethylene film.
Two coats of paint were applied with a roller on one surface of
the cement roofing specimens (4 cm  5 cm), in accordance with
the manufacturer’s instructions, and stored for seven days at
(25  2) 8C and two weeks at (50  5)% RH, prior to testing.
4.3. Methods
To study the optical and thermal properties of the paints, the
following parameters were measured:
(a) Color of the samples was measured on free films, according to
‘‘ASTM D 2244-89: calculation of color differences from
instrumentally measured color coordinates’’, using a color-
guide, Byk Gardner, 45/0 geometry.
(b) UV, VIS and NIR reflectance (spectrum reflectance) of the
painted and unpainted (4 cm  5 cm) specimens was mea-
sured according to ‘‘ASTM E903-96: standard test method for
solar absorption, reflectance, and transmittance of materials
using integrating spheres’’, using a spectrophotometer (Shi-
madzu, model UVPC 3101 PC) equipped with integrating
spheres IRS 3100. The standard reflectance (reference material)
was Barium sulphate (BaSO4).
(c) Surface temperature of the specimens when exposed to a source
of radiation emitted by a 250 W infrared radiation lamp, placed
20 cm from the samples. The air and surface temperatures of the
specimens were measured with type T thermocouples con-
nected to a DataTaker model DT800 data logging system.
Collected data was saved on a computer every 60 s, for 1.5 h. The
sensors were placed in the center of the outer and inner surfaces
Fig. 1. (a)‘‘Free’’ film. (b) Unpainted and painted specimens of roof sheets.
 K.L. Uemoto et al. / Energy and Buildings 42 (2010) 17–22 19

Fig. 2. Schematic representation of the apparatus developed for exposure to IR radiation, with location of thermocouples.

of the specimens, and in the center of the device developed for
the test. This device was made of wood with one side having an
opening (Fig. 2). In each test, temperatures of painted and
unpainted samples, exposed to the same incoming infrared
energy, were measured at the same time in order to compare the
effect caused by the paint. The inside air temperature of the
device was kept constant in order to avoid accumulation of heat
in this space and to assure that the heat absorbed by the roof
sheets was exclusively by irradiation and not by convection of
the air in contact with the inner surface of the sheet.
5. Results and discussion
5.1. Color characterization of paint films
According to the results, presented in Table 1, there are no
significant differences in color when conventional paints and cool
paints, prepared by replacing the conventional pigment with cool
pigments of similar colors, are compared by instrumental
measurement or by observation with the naked eye.
reflectance (UV, VIS, and NIR) data and show the reflectance curves
for unpainted fiber cement specimens and for each conventional
colored painted specimen and its corresponding cool colored
painted specimen.
Figs. 3–5 show that the cool paint and the conventional paint
applied on fiber cement roofing sheets presented almost the same
reflectance in the VIS range. The cool paints significantly improved
reflectance in the NIR range compared to unpainted (STD) sheets
and to conventional paint of the same color. For conventional
paints, reflectance can be seen to vary according to the color of the
paint; the darker the color, the lower the reflectance.
5.3. Surface temperature of the specimens
Figs. 6–8 show the temperature readings from the device
developed for exposure to infrared radiation. The figures present

5.2. UV, VIS and NIR reflectance

Table 2 shows the reflectance data calculated using spectro-

photometric measurement. Figs. 3–5 also present this spectral

Table 1
Color characterization of conventional and cool paint samples.

Sample Color coordinates

L* a* b*

Unpainted 75.7 0.4 5.2 Fig. 3. Measured reflectance of unpainted fiber cement specimens and those
Conventional white 94.7 1.4 3.2 painted with conventional and cool white paint.
Cool white 94.1 0.7 3.4
Conventional brown 49.3 21.7 25.1
Cool brown 49.6 20.9 23.4
Conventional yellow 70.8 16.1 57.9
Cool yellow 71.8 17.8 58.0

Table 2
Measured reflectance of unpainted specimens and those painted with conventional
and cool paint.

Specimens Reflectance (%)

UV VIS NIR Total

Unpainted (STD) 32.0 48.5 50.4 47.3

Cool white 6.5 84.9 80.1 77.9
Conventional white 7.3 86.0 63.8 65.5
Cool brown 8.0 26.4 72.9 61.9
Conventional brown 5.7 24.4 32.8 30.2
Cool yellow 5.8 46.3 76.2 67.9
Fig. 4. Measured reflectance of unpainted fiber cements specimens and those
Conventional yellow 5.8 44.4 44.4 42.8
painted with conventional and cool brown paint.
20 K.L. Uemoto et al. / Energy and Buildings 42 (2010) 17–22
Fig. 5. Reflectance of unpainted fiber cement specimens and those painted with
conventional and cool yellow paint.
Fig. 6. Temperatures of: (a) the air inside the device and the fiber cement specimens,
both unpainted and painted with conventional and cool white paint; (b) outer
surface; (c) inner surface.
the temperatures of the outer and inner surfaces and the
temperature of the air in the center of the device.
The application of the two types of white paint lowered both
outer and inner surface temperatures of the fiber cement roofing
sheets, improving thermal performance (Fig. 6). The results also
Fig. 7. Temperatures of: (a) the air inside the device and the fiber cement specimens,
both unpainted and painted with conventional and cool brown paint; (b) outer
surface; (c) inner surface.
show that the conventional brown paint presented a higher
temperature than the unpainted fiber cement roofing sheet.
Although absorption in the VIS range is higher for both brown
paints than for unpainted specimens (lower reflectance), the cool
formulation reflected more in NIR radiation, thus reducing the
surface temperatures (TS and TI) of the unpainted fiber cement
sheet.
The results also indicate that the conventional yellow paint, in
spite of being a light color, was not as efficient in reducing the
temperature of the fiber cement roofing sheet. However, the cool
yellow paint formulation reduced surface temperatures, signifi-
cantly improving thermal performance compared to the unpainted
sheet.
5.4. Effect of cool paints on radiant heat transfer to the inside of the
device
The radiant heat transfer from the inner surface of samples
exposed to the radiation emitted by the lamps (Fig. 2) was
determined by considering that all the heat from the inner surface
of the roofing samples was irradiated to the inside of the device.
 K.L. Uemoto et al. / Energy and Buildings 42 (2010) 17–22 21

Table 3
Temperatures of unpainted and painted fiber cement specimens and radiant heat
flux to the inside of the device.

Specimen Inner surface Air temperature Radiant heat Reduction

temperature inside of the flux (W/m2) of heat
(8C) device (8C) flux with
paint (%)

Unpainted (STD) 64.7 27.3 226 –

Cool white 51.2 25.9 142 37
Conventional white 57.0 27.1 174 23
Unpainted (STD) 68.2 26.9 253 –
Cool brown 58.6 26.6 187 26
Conventional brown 81.7 31.7 334 32
Unpainted (STD) 75.9 27.5 309 –
Cool yellow 61.2 26.2 207 33
Conventional yellow 69.8 26.3 268 13

color than the cool brown (Table 1); on the other hand, the
conventional brown transferred a greater amount of heat by
radiation to the inside of the device than the unpainted sample;
- for all three colors, the cool paints reduced the heat flux to inside
the device compared to conventional paints and the highest
difference was between cool brown and conventional brown.

6. Conclusions

The replacement of pigments in commercial paint formulations

Fig. 8. Temperatures of: (a) the air inside the device and the fiber cement specimens,
both unpainted and painted with conventional and cool yellow paint; (b) outer
surface; (c) inner surface.
Based on the maximum temperatures of the inner surface of the
sample (T1) and the environmental temperature (T2), and
considering that the heat irradiated from the roof is totally
transferred to the inside of the device, the heat flux q12 transferred
by radiation from the roof to the inside (q12) was calculated
according to Eq. (1):
As ðT14  T24 Þ
q12 ¼ (1)
ð1=e1 Þ þ ð1=e2 Þ  1
In this equation s is the Stephan–Boltzmann constant,
s = 5.67  108 W/m2 K4 where emissions e1 and e2 were assumed
to be 0.9 [12].
Table 3 presents the temperatures and results of heat flux
calculations.
The results presented in Table 3 indicate that:
- excluding the conventional brown paint, the application of paints
reduced heat flux;
- the cool white paint was the most effective in reducing heat flux;
- the cool brown paint was more efficient in reducing heat flux
than the conventional yellow, although the yellow is lighter in
allows the development of products with similar absorption in the
VIS range but higher reflectance in NIR radiation. Consequently,
cool paints absorb less solar energy, which keeps the fiber cement
surface at a lower temperature and decreases energy transfer by
radiation.
Preliminary analysis [13] suggests the cool materials may cost
up to US$1 m2 more than conventionally colored roofing
materials and may increase the total cost of a new roof system
by 2–5%.
Cement-based materials present undesirable thermal proper-
ties [7] and cool paints can improve thermal comfort conditions of
low-cost housing, industrial buildings and farm buildings con-
structed with fiber cement roofing sheets. Cool paints can also lead
to a longer service life cycle for this kind of roof. Passive cooling of
buildings is a technology characterized by low cost and easy
application [4].
Future studies include the assessment of short and long-term
performance of such paints using full-size prototypes and
computer simulations to study the impact of roof reflectance on
energy consumption in air-conditioned buildings and thermal
comfort conditions inside non-air-conditioned buildings in Brazil.
Acknowledgements
The experiments were performed in the laboratories of the
University of São Paulo - Department of Civil Construction
Engineering and are part of Paula Ikematsu’s Master Degree
dissertation [14]. The authors are grateful to Dovac Indústria e
Comércio for supplying the paint samples. Vanderley John would
like to acknowledge the financial support of CNPq (National
Council for Scientific and Technological Development).
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