Light-coloured roofs keep homes cooler as Australia faces record El Niño heat
A ceramic heat-reflective coating can drop roof surface temperature from 60°C to 26°C. This cuts air-conditioning costs without replacing the roof.
Australia is facing record temperatures this summer from an El Niño pattern. Reflective roof coatings offer a low-cost way to keep homes cool.
An Adelaide engineer coated his metal roof and western wall with Super Therm. Super Therm is a water-based ceramic paint made by NASA.
The change was immediate. The upstairs bedrooms and office used to overheat despite running the air-conditioning flat out.
Now they are noticeably cooler. In a trial on a 22°C day, uncoated concrete roof tiles reached 60°C by 1pm.
Tiles with one coat of Super Therm stayed at just 26°C. The coating repels infrared radiation.
This stops heat from getting into the house. Most Australian roofs are medium to dark coloured, even though lighter shades generally reflect more heat.
The coating typically pays for itself in three to five years through lower energy bills. It also extends the roof's lifespan.
This reduces waste.
- 60°C
- Uncoated tile temperature
- 26°C
- Coated tile temperature
- 3 to 5 years
- Payback period
- 22°C day
- Test conditions
Why it mattersAs temperatures rise in Australia, reflective coatings help reduce cooling costs. They also extend roof life without major renovation.
AustraliaAustralian homeowners can reduce summer air-conditioning bills and stay cooler during heatwaves using readily available reflective coatings.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 26 min ago
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