(AGENPARL) – Tue 20 May 2025 Akzo Nobel N.V.
Media release
May 20, 2025
AkzoNobel launches “sunscreen” coating system to redefine urban cooling
(AKZA; AKZOY)
A new thermal insulation coating system which can cool down buildings and make them more energy
efficient has been launched by AkzoNobel in China.
Featuring a radiative cooling topcoat and a thermal radiation barrier mid-coat, the innovative technology
from the company’s Decorative Paints business acts like a sunscreen. It means the surface
temperature of buildings can be lowered by up to 10% during hot summer months, compared with using
conventional coatings*.
The passive radiative cooling process the system uses involves emitting heat lost through thermal
radiation into outer space. It’s expected to significantly enhance energy-saving performance –
particularly when renovating existing buildings – and has been successfully tested on several buildings
in the Lingang section of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone.
“This is a significant breakthrough in architectural coatings and opens up new avenues for energyefficient building renovations,” says Karen Yin, Director of the company’s Decorative Paints China North
Asia business and President of AkzoNobel China. “We aim to provide consumers with safer, more
sustainable and comfortable living environments, while contributing to China’s dual-carbon policy, which
is focused on both controlling total carbon emissions and carbon emissions intensity.”
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The mid-coat uses advanced aerogel insulation materials, which have extremely low thermal
conductivity, helping to effectively block the transmission and penetration of heat. The topcoat is an
upgraded version of heat-reflective coatings, offering higher reflectivity to further reduce solar heat
absorption. It also has high thermal emittance, allowing it to directly emit heat back into the atmosphere,
mitigating urban heat island effects. Both of these coatings are low-VOC and fully water-based.
Adds Yin: “The science behind these ‘cool coatings’ might be complex, but the effect is easily
explained. A ‘normal’ exterior coating will heat up in the sun, because it still absorbs some sunlight. A
heat-reflective coating will heat up less, because it absorbs less sunlight. Our new cool coatings don’t
heat up at all, because they barely absorb any sunlight and efficiently radiate the heat away.”
With the built environment estimated to be responsible for around 40% of annual global carbon
emissions, the technology has the potential to redefine urban cooling in hot climates and help drive the
creation of more sustainable buildings.
* Performance validated by AkzoNobel’s internal testing. The coating system reduces surface temperatures and
minimizes heat transfer from the exterior to the interior, achieving a temperature reduction of up to 10% based on
the climate and color offering.
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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Contact: Hugo Stienstra