Watergy International Group is working with researchers at Masdar Institute just outside of Abu Dhabi to test a new paint that when applied to rooftops may be able to reduce cooling loads by 20 percent.
They applied the paint, which contains titanium dioxide (a material that is used in sunscreen) to a 2, 120 square foot area of roof at the Masdar Field station. Areas of the same roof were painted grey and one area was left uncovered.
At 9:30am, when it’s already blazing hot outside, the researchers found that the areas painted white measured just 76.82 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas the uncovered areas were unbearable to walk on at 116 degrees Fahrenheit.
Whereas white paint makes the most sense, the grey and black paint containing the same chemicals would also be effective if it is required for stylistic reasons.
In addition to reducing the heat island effect associated with buildings that have soaked up a great deal of solar energy and then radiate that heat, alongside cars and other energy sources, the paint could reduce the need to cool homes with air-conditioning.
Uninsulated concrete villas would benefit the most from the paint. In a typical villa the AC unit is up on the roof so when you limit the heat on the roof you improve the performance of the AC because now where the AC is, it is a lower temperature.
A hangar in Sharjah and a supermarket in Italy already benefit from the cooling paint.
The next step in Abu Dhabi, for which Watergy has signed a letter of agreement to the tune of nearly $3 million, is to test two 50,000 square meter areas in the city.
After that, the paint could be applied to a variety of surfaces in order to bring down over all temperatures – even roads.