AkzoNobel Becomes Exclusive Supplier for Solar Absorbing Wall Technology

After developing a pioneering coating which can help warm up or cool down a building, AkzoNobel has now become exclusive paint supplier to the Calosol heat-retaining façade technology it helped to create. 

The innovative panel system – which transforms the façades of homes and buildings into a source of energy – was created together with Dutch partners Emergo and TNO. At the heart of the technology is a special AkzoNobel coating which can harness energy from the portion of sunlight invisible to the human eye. Which means the system can capture solar energy as long as there’s daylight – even when it’s raining.

Suitable for new-builds or renovation projects – which can be disconnected from the gas network – estimates suggest using the Calosol technology can result in 20-30% less electricity being needed, compared with a traditional air-to-water heat pump. So there’s potential to make homes and buildings energy neutral, or even energy positive. The technology can also contribute to green building certifications such as BREEAM and LEED.

Calosol’s innovative technology is in use on a demonstration house
located in Almelo, the Netherlands. Photo: AkzoNobel

“The built environment accounts for around 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions, so finding effective solutions to help reduce the environmental footprint of buildings is vital,” says Wijnand Bruinsma, AkzoNobel’s Director of Sustainability. “Our Sikkens brand in the Netherlands already helps customers achieve BREEAM certification and this new façade technology is another innovative addition to what we currently offer.”

Continues Bruinsma: “The technology we’ve developed with Emergo and TNO represents an important step in helping to make the built environment more sustainable, especially when you consider that 80% of today’s buildings will remain in use beyond 2050. So, addressing their carbon footprint isn’t just an environmental concern, it’s a pressing economic and societal challenge.”   

Being able to capture the part of the solar spectrum that’s invisible to humans – which accounts for more than 50% of the total amount of solar energy – means the aesthetically pleasing panels can be supplied to building designers in virtually any color, thanks to AkzoNobel’s Interpon and Fidura^TM portfolios. Traditionally, black is most associated with absorbing light, but when using the Calosol technology white, for example, has more than 30% higher solar absorption.

“The Calosol heat-retaining façade technology is the perfect complement to our sustainable prefab roof and aesthetic façade solutions,” explains Hendrik-Jan Weggeman, Director of Emergo. “It’s particularly effective for the renovation of residential homes and other structures such as public buildings that have important heating needs, including swimming pools. It provides added value to property owners, architects and housing corporations, expanding the possibilities for sustainable renovations.”

With around 60 billion square meters of unused façade surfaces in the European Union alone, and just as much roof surface, the technology has huge green building potential.

As well as being successfully tested in lengthy pilot projects conducted with several Dutch housing associations, the new system also features on a sports hall in Almere and is being installed in several public buildings across the Netherlands during the next few months.