In this blog, the Globalcote team explains what ‘Urban Heat Island’ refers to and what we’re doing to help Australian homeowners combat the impacts of urbanisation – and how to improve their home’s energy efficiency with heat reflective roof coatings.
If you want to reduce your energy footprint and find ways to minimise the impact of your home and lifestyle on the environment, this article is for you!
What is the Urban Heat Island effect?
The exponential growth of urban areas has meant that – over time – vegetation has been replaced by non-reflective construction materials for roofing, walls and pavements; resulting in cities steadily becoming warmer.
Cities are now referred to as “urban heat islands”. With this increase in city temperatures, peak energy demand and smog have grown.
What is the Urban Heat Island Project?
In 1998, the “Urban Heat Island Project” was formed.
This project – in collaboration with the US Environmental Protection Agency and Local Governments – set out to develop ways to make the world’s cities cooler, reduce population, and save energy.
The group’s primary focus is to develop ways to make our cities cooler and thereby reduce pollution and save energy.
How to Reduce Your Impact on The Urban Heat Island
We live in a world that is rapidly evolving and demanding we all be more energy efficient and resource conscious.
The identification of the Urban Heat Island effect created a product design challenge for our industry – and here at Globalcote we are proud to have risen to the challenge.
Our innovative product range includes a specially formulated infrared heat reflective roof coating membrane, Infracote.
Infracote uses technology to reflect the sun’s radiation away from the roof surface. It works by targeting the invisible infrared portion of the sun’s radiation, resulting in multiple benefits to you – and importantly – the planet:
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- Coated surfaces stay cooler
- The coating will last longer than a non-reflective product that absorbs the sun’s radiation
- Helps combat the Urban Heat Island because the heat is not absorbed
An effective way to measure a coating’s reflective capability is to measure its Total Solar Reflectance (TSR) – learn more here.
Heat Reflective Roof Paint
Globalcote is proud to be thinking globally, acting locally. And you can join us too by choosing products that reflect heat away from the roof surface. Not only is it good for the environment, it’s good for your hip pocket.
Australian made and manufactured, Infracote incorporating nanotechnology. So, in addition to its heat reflective capabilities, the surface of the film cross-links around nano-particles to enhance the coatings dirt-shedding capabilities, too!
Globalcote is fast becoming a leader in the manufacture of specialty acrylic exterior coatings. We have an extensive product range available is a wide variety of colours.
Our product range includes roof membranes (some with heat reflective properties), primers and sealers, surface treatments, interior/exterior house paint and pool paints.
We have an enviable reputation trusted amongst professional tradespeople and paint retailers Australia wide and supply a wide network of retail stores throughout Australia.
For an Australian owned and operated company thinking globally and acting locally, call Globalcote on 1300 928 826.
