AkzoNobel Launches Groundbreaking Cooling Coating System to Enhance Energy Efficiency in Buildings

AkzoNobel Launches Groundbreaking Cooling Coating System to Enhance Energy Efficiency in Buildings

(IN BRIEF) AkzoNobel has introduced an innovative thermal insulation coating system in China that cools buildings and improves energy efficiency. The system uses a radiative cooling topcoat and a thermal radiation barrier mid-coat to lower building surface temperatures by up to 10% during summer. The technology has been tested successfully in the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone and offers a sustainable solution for building renovations, helping reduce carbon emissions in line with China’s dual-carbon policy.

(PRESS RELEASE) AMSTERDAM, 21-May-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — AkzoNobel has launched a groundbreaking thermal insulation coating system in China designed to enhance the energy efficiency of buildings by actively cooling them. This innovative technology, introduced by the company’s Decorative Paints business, features a radiative cooling topcoat and a thermal radiation barrier mid-coat, working together like a sunscreen to reduce the surface temperature of buildings by up to 10% during hot summer months, compared to conventional coatings*.

The system utilizes a passive radiative cooling process, where heat is emitted via thermal radiation into outer space, significantly improving energy-saving performance, especially in the renovation of existing buildings. The technology has been successfully tested on several buildings in the Lingang section of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone.

“This is a major breakthrough in architectural coatings, opening new possibilities for energy-efficient building renovations,” says Karen Yin, Director of AkzoNobel’s Decorative Paints China North Asia business and President of AkzoNobel China. “We are committed to providing consumers with safer, more sustainable, and comfortable living environments, while contributing to China’s dual-carbon policy, which focuses on both controlling total carbon emissions and reducing carbon emission intensity.”

The mid-coat in the new system incorporates advanced aerogel insulation materials, which have exceptionally low thermal conductivity, helping to block the transmission and penetration of heat. The topcoat is an upgraded heat-reflective coating that offers higher reflectivity to further reduce solar heat absorption, as well as high thermal emittance, allowing the building to radiate heat back into the atmosphere. Both coatings are low-VOC and fully water-based, making them environmentally friendly.

“The science behind our ‘cool coatings’ is advanced, but the effect is simple,” explains Yin. “A typical exterior coating heats up under the sun because it absorbs sunlight. A heat-reflective coating absorbs less sunlight, so it heats up less. Our cool coatings barely absorb any sunlight at all and efficiently radiate heat away, ensuring cooler surfaces and interiors.”

With the built environment accounting for about 40% of global carbon emissions annually, this new technology has the potential to revolutionize urban cooling in hot climates and contribute to the development of more sustainable buildings.

*Performance validated by AkzoNobel’s internal testing. The coating system can reduce surface temperatures and minimize heat transfer, achieving temperature reductions of up to 10%, depending on climate and color.

About AkzoNobel 

Since 1792, we’ve been supplying the innovative paints and coatings that help to color people’s lives and protect what matters most. Our world class portfolio of brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – is trusted by customers around the globe. We’re active in more than 150 countries and use our expertise to sustain and enhance everyday life. Because we believe every surface is an opportunity. It’s what you’d expect from a pioneering and long-established paints company that’s dedicated to providing more sustainable solutions and preserving the best of what we have today – while creating an even better tomorrow. Let’s paint the future together.

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SOURCE: AkzoNobel