Cool paint experiment modifies urban microclimate

Cool paint coatings, which contain additives that reflect the sun’s heat to reduce surface heat absorption and emission, are seen as one way to cool down urban areas and mitigate the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect.

To date, most studies of cool paint coatings have been simulation-based or tested in scaled-down models.

Now, NTU researchers have conducted a first-of-its-kind real-world study in the tropics to comprehensively evaluate how well cool paint coatings reduce heat.

Lead author Dr. E V S Kiran Kumar Donthu, who completed the work as a Research Fellow at Energy Research Institute at NTU (ERIAN), said, “This is a minimally intrusive solution for urban cooling that has an immediate effect.

“Moreover, by reducing the amount of heat absorbed in urban structures, we also reduce heat load in buildings, consequently reducing indoor air-conditioning energy consumption.”

To carry out their experiments, the NTU researchers selected four rectangular buildings that created two parallel ‘street canyons’ - narrow streets flanked by buildings – in an industrial estate west of Singapore managed by JTC Corporation.