White paint or air con?

Go to Greece, and in a traditional town you will see all the buildings painted white, it is an effective way to cool the insides and reflect heat.

Whilst home and business owners may be considering how air conditioning can help to manage dangerous temperatures, solar-reflective paint offers another form of passive cooling. Especially effective in the hospitably business, where site ownership and hot conditions are prevalent.

“Air conditioning units are expensive to run, with a multi-split or ducted system costing between £0.26 and £1.31 per hour. They can dry out the air and can have a negative environmental impact. Portable air conditioning comes with its own set of problems, including only cooling a relatively small area, taking up floor space, and requiring venting to avoid a build up of moisture,” Jack Reading from Emperor Paint explains.

All masonry paints will reflect sunlight, but some masonry paints, especially in lighter colours like white, can reflect far more. Higher levels of titanium dioxide help reflect more of the sun’s energy away independent testing, with some holding a solar reflectance index value of 86 per cent.”

---