In recent times, thermal shield paints, which block the heat from the sun from entering the buildings by either reflecting the heat away or through conduction, hence, reducing energy waste, have gained increasing acceptance across the regional markets. As the new green building regulations being implemented across the Gulf countries encourage building owners and developers to accelerate the adoption of these specialized paints, one of the pioneering companies in the field of eco-friendly painting and coating solutions, Jotun Paints, has recently rolled out its “GreenSteps” initiative, a five-point goal program to reassure consumers that Jotun products are better formulated and conformed to world class green building standards. The five GreenSteps include the move to reduce energy consumption; reduce carbon footprint; reduce waste; reduce the use of solvent or volatile organic content (VOC) and reduce the use of hazardous materials. Thermal shield technology is based on the use of special types of black pigments in the paint which work as a heat reflector. Sverre Knudsen, General Manager ? Abu Dhabi at Jotun Paints, explained how the technology works. “Glass bubbles in the paint reflect sunlight,” he said. “In the Jotashield range, it's a bit complicated to add on, but the interest is there in the market. Jotashield Extreme is the latest advancement. The color pigment reflects the heating rays of the sun away from the walls. You can use it as (you would use) an ordinary paint.” The lifespan of the paint is about six to eight years, depending on the impact of wind and sand. Knudsen claims that the product reduces indoor temperature by 3°C and electricity consumption by a minimum of 10 percent. This means that, although Jotashield Extreme is 10 percent more expensive than Jotun's conventional paints, the payback period is about one year, he says. Knudsen said these environmentally sustainable paints should be of interest to all home owners, as they reduce energy costs. “The authorities here want to bring down energy consumption, so we are sure this is the (right) product for the area,” he argues. In 2010, Sigma Paints Saudi Arabia introduced an unprecedented zero VOC paint system, the company said. “VOCs are organic chemicals that readily vaporise at room temperature. They are called organic because they contain the element carbon in their molecular structures,” Antoine Lejuez, Sigma Paints Marketing Manager ? Middle East, said. VOCs include a very wide range of individual substances, such as hydrocarbons, halocarbons and oxygenates, which are very harmful to the environment and human health. The new Zero VOC product range from Sigma Paints consists of water-based products, which are absolutely ‘clean' paints and don't contain any harmful substances for human beings, the company claims. Lejuez said: “We are looking at sustainability and green products. Our company has a long history of producing environmentally-sound products, even before it was trendy to do so.” Turra said the main trends in the field of sustainable and eco-friendly painting solutions include the use of low VOCs, lead- and heavy metal-free paints, as well as light- and heat-reflective products which reduce the heating of buildings and power consumption.
