Thermal Performance of White Solar-Reflective Paints for Cool Roofs and the Influence on the Thermal Comfort and Building Energy Use in Hot Climates

Energy and material use are increasing significantly worldwide and buildings in urban areas are responsible for much of this growth in the intensity of energy and material consumption (GOLDEN, 2003). Of the many ways in which buildings impact the environment, the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) and the creation of microclimates within urban areas are among the most prominent (UNEP, 2007). Greenhouse gases emissions are directly related to the energy consumed during all the stages of a building’s life, including manufacture, transportation, construction, operation and demolition. Over the entire lifetime of a building, the operational energy is the most significant of these (JO et al., 2010).