By Steven Soderberg, Lorin Industries, Inc.
Lorin Industries highlights the high solar reflectance index value of its ClearMatt® Architectural Class II and exterior finish anodized aluminum. High solar reflectance provides a range of benefits to a building’s surrounding environment, making ClearMatt® a sustainable environmental alternative to white paints, and a solution that achieves a beautiful aesthetic appeal that lasts.
ClearMatt® anodized aluminum has a higher Solar Reflective Index (SRI) for ‘cool roof’ designs than white PVDF paints. When the sun’s radiation hits the surface of a roof, a fraction of the solar energy is reflected by the roof (solar reflection), some heat becomes absorbed by the roof into the building below, and a portion of the absorbed heat is radiated from the roof surface (thermal emittance). Depending on the type of anodic layer, ClearMatt® has a solar reflectance ranging from 0.75 to 0.77 and a thermal emittance ranging from 0.69 to 0.732. This results in an impressive SRI ranging from 87.4 to 93. By contrast, PVDF paints may have an SRI anywhere from 82 to as low as 67.
Ultimately, the high SRI value of ClearMatt® anodized aluminum provides a range of benefits, including cool roofs and cool walls. By reducing the heat load around the building, it reduces ground level ozone and the urban heat island effect, and lowers energy costs by reducing the need for cooling systems. This, in turn, reduces greenhouse gas emissions involved in cooling systems. The SRI can also be used to comply with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system. In these ways, the high SRI of ClearMatt® makes it a more sustainable environmental solution than white paint.