In partnership with leading paint companies around the world, Boysen Paints participates in Nova Paint Club’s Cool Roof, Smart Choice campaign, advocating for white roofs as a scalable solution for urban heat and climate change.
Cool roof technology addresses the need for more comfortable homes and buildings amidst rising temperatures. It particularly benefits communities facing the urban heat island effect, cities experiencing significantly warmer temperatures than surrounding rural areas. This is a phenomenon caused by human activity, as well as the way urban environments absorb and retain solar radiation.
Through the use of cool roofs, heat build-up is reduced, providing more comfortable spaces in one’s home and workplace. It also drives down energy costs for cooling buildings.
Boysen Roof Paints for Cooler Buildings: What Experts Say
Engineer Gretchen Enarle, Sustainability Leader of Boysen Paints, explains that cool roofs are designed to reflect heat by utilizing materials with high solar reflectance and thermal emittance.
“Cool roofing paints work on the principle of solar reflectance and thermal emittance. They contain special pigments and additives that reflect sunlight and radiate heat back into the atmosphere. This science helps reduce energy needed for airconditioning,” she says.
Boysen specifically offers white paint colors for Boysen Roofgard and Boysen Cool Shades, which significantly contribute to the cool roof movement. Boysen Cool Shades, in particular, with its infrared-reflecting pigments, is specifically formulated for painting roofs to achieve a heat-reducing effect.
Engr. Enarle further explains that effectiveness of roof paints, like Boysen Cool Shades, is proven using metrics such as the Solar Reflectance Index (SRI), and the Total Solar Reflectance (TSR). Through careful testing, the effectiveness of Boysen’s products was confirmed to reduce heat transfer into homes.
Benefitting from its efficacy, Boysen Cool Shades coats the roof of one Boysen’s factory and warehouse. This helps boost worker productivity by creating cooler spaces.
Boysen Paints and the Commitment to Sustainable Solutions
Engr. Enarle particularly anchors the cool roofs movement to addressing the needs of homeowners and businesses, while also securing the environmental impact of these solutions.
“Our ultimate goal is to create more comfortable living spaces and help mitigate the effects of climate change,” she says.
Heat-reflecting roofs help lower energy costs for cooling one’s home or workplace. At a wider scale, reduced energy consumption results in an overall lower carbon footprint, contributing to efforts to push back against climate change.
Boysen has seen itself at the forefront of sustainable solutions. Besides developing products for cool roofs, Boysen produces paints that are low in volatile organic compounds (VOC), which emit fewer harmful chemicals. Boysen Paints also implements programs such as the responsible sourcing of raw materials, as well as engaging in water conservation and waste management practices.
“Our product innovation focuses on developing paints that are not only high performing, but also environmentally safe, ensuring that we have a sustainable future for our customers and the planet,” Enarle says.
Through participation in Nova Paint Club’s Cool Roof Smart Choice campaign, Boysen engages in efforts for making an innovative solution more widespread, benefitting communities and the planet.
