Paint Market Heating Up Amid Heatwave

'Heat-Reflective Paint' That Lowers Temperature on Roofs, Roads, and Windows
Sales Rising Amid Abnormal Climate Conditions

The temperature difference between the area painted with Samhwa Paint's road heat-reflective paint 'Byroad Cool' (left, 29.8℃) and the area without it (right, 34.8℃) is about 5℃.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] After the monsoon season ends, the paint industry heats up along with 'heat-reflective paint.'

In the spring season (May to June), before the monsoon begins, pastel-tone paints for home decoration are popular, and waterproof paint sales increase just before and after the monsoon. In the fall season (August to September), when the heatwave intensifies, heat-reflective paint sales rise, marking the start of the season.

Heat-reflective paint is a product that actively responds to climate and environmental changes such as heatwaves and global warming. Sales have been increasing every year due to demand for energy-saving coatings that suit the summer high-temperature phenomena caused by abnormal weather and eco-friendly trends.

Cool roofs, which are applied to roofs to lower their temperature, are standard, but heat-reflective paints are also applied to roads to reduce urban heat island effects or directly on glass windows to block ultraviolet rays and lower indoor temperatures.

KCC Heat-Reflective Paint Spotan Award.
[Photo by KCC]

The leading heat-reflective paint from KCC, the number one paint company, is 'Spotan Sangdo.' Spotan Sangdo has been recognized for its heat-reflective performance by the U.S. energy-saving coating certification body CRRC, and its TSR (Total Solar Reflectance) value is measured to be much higher than the standard 70% compared to regular paints.

Notably, this product can be applied to various materials such as concrete, steel, wood, and aluminum without limitation. It can be widely used from residential to commercial facilities, including rooftops of office buildings, apartments, shopping centers, childcare facilities, nursing homes, schools, as well as various storage tanks, outdoor facilities, and factory roofs. Sales increased by about 30% compared to the end of June last year, and sales are soaring as the heatwave intensifies.

Samhwa Paint, Heat-Reflective Paint for Roads and Floors 'Byroad Cool'
[Photo by Samhwa Paint]

Samhwa Paint's 'Byroad Cool' is a heat-reflective paint applied to roads to reduce the urban heat island effect. Byroad Cool is an MMA (methyl methacrylate) type paint that uses special pigments reflecting infrared rays, preventing temperature rise of asphalt and concrete and mitigating the heat island effect on roads during heatwaves.

According to tests by the Korea Conformity Laboratories, the reflectance of general MMA paint in the infrared range is 33.7%, while Byroad Cool shows a high reflectance of 61.7%. The surface temperature was measured to be up to 18.8°C lower than that of regular asphalt concrete roads. It is useful not only on roads where cars or people wait, such as parking lots, bus stops, and crosswalks, but also in parks and walking trails, protecting pets exposed to hot surfaces in summer. It has also completed pet product certification (PS). Sales grew about 30% compared to the first half of the previous year.

Noroo Paint, holding the title of Korea's first 'heat-reflective paint,' saw sales of its 'Energy Saver' increase by 25.4% compared to the first half of last year. Energy Saver is an energy-saving paint for waterproofing rooftops, uniquely using white special pigments that reflect infrared rays. Through a high-reflectance effect that quickly releases surface heat into the atmosphere, it reduces the surface temperature of existing concrete by more than 20°C, thereby reducing cooling energy use.

Noru Paint, Energy Saver Window Package.
[Photo by Noru Paint]

'Energy Saver Window' is a heat-reflective paint applied directly to glass windows to lower indoor temperatures. It is easy to apply to window frames or glass and forms a translucent film made of special nano-materials that blocks ultraviolet rays and solar heat while allowing other natural light to pass through.

According to tests by the Korea Chemical Convergence Testing Institute, it blocks 90% of ultraviolet rays and over 75% of visible light, protecting skin from UV rays, lowering indoor temperatures, and providing privacy protection through the translucent film.

Jogwang Paint's 'Evercool' is a heat-reflective paint that prevents heat damage and saves cooling costs in livestock barns and pigsties during summer. When indoor temperatures rise due to hot sunlight in summer, livestock experience heat stress, reducing feed intake and productivity, which leads to decreased farm income.

According to experiments by the Rural Development Administration on the impact of pigsty temperature control on productivity, sows' feed intake increased by 21% when indoor temperatures were 20?25°C compared to 25?35°C. The roof surface temperature of barns painted with Evercool was about 21.5°C lower, and indoor temperature was about 4°C lower than barns without the paint.

An industry official explained, "With the Korea Meteorological Administration announcing that the number of heatwave days this year is twice the average and people wearing masks, there are concerns about citizens' health due to the heatwave," adding, "Due to abnormal weather causing summer high temperatures and the eco-friendly trend, demand for energy-saving coatings is increasing, and heat-reflective paint sales are growing by more than 30% annually."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.