June 6, 2016 – An anti-soiling highly reflective and water-resistant roof coating developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and evaluated at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has produced encouraging results. The coating based on superhydrophobic particles resulted in only 3.3 and 4.9 percent reductions in solar reflectance and water contact angle, respectively, after aging tests equivalent to three years. Over the life of a roof, this could mean substantial savings in energy costs, reduced urban heat, smog abatement and lower peak power demand. “Highly water-resistant and solar-reflective coatings for low-slope roofs are potentially among the most economical retrofit approaches to thermal management of the building envelope,” ORNL’s Georgios Polyzos said.
A superhydrophobic additive increases resistance to water, soiling and microbial growth.
