Selena Group has again received an international acclaim, this time for its proprietary roofing technology. The Group has become a member of the prestigious European Cool Roof Council (ECRC), an association created as part of the Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) programme. The purpose of the ECRC is to promote the certification and use of Cool Roof products, which are designed to reduce the roof and indoor temperature. The ECRC advocates the activities that aim at mitigating the greenhouse effect and reducing the heat island effect in highly urbanised areas. The innovative COOL-R roof coating is a perfect fit with the ECRC mission. The use of COOL-R reduces the indoor temperature by up to 10 degrees Celsius, which generates huge energy savings and contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions and to environmental protection.
“The achievements of our advanced R&D department are gaining an increasing publicity and recognition in the sector, which is evidenced, for example, by our admission to membership in the ECRC. Selena is developing solutions which are set to revolutionise the construction chemicals sector. We are putting products on the market, which both outpace the competition and go beyond the construction as we know it today. For example, this is the case with our pioneering technology – COOL-R, which is the brainchild of Selena’s own R&D. This is an excellent example of a Cool Roof product which can almost instantly reduce the roof surface temperature, and consequently the indoor temperature. In addition, the COOL-R coating provides a great waterproofing for the roof, eliminates the aging process of the roof covering and extends its durability to 10 years. The combination of the two features – cooling & waterproofing – and the outstanding parameters of the coating make it a unique solution in the world. Our membership in the ECRC will certainly contribute to the international promotion of good practices and sustainable construction, and to the setting of new standards in this sector” – said Maciej Lubomski, Waterproofing Division Director at Selena Group.
COOL-R is a highly reflective waterproofing coating that protects the roof from heat and water. It can be used both on new and renovated, flat and sloping roofs. Its key benefits include temperature reduction, waterproofing, high reflectivity, durability and prevention of fire spreading. It is perfect for:
- Buildings without air conditioning – it reduces the temperature under the roof by up to 10°C
- Buildings with air conditioning – it improves thermal comfort and reduces electricity costs
- Large-scale supermarkets – it increases refrigeration efficiency and reduces electricity costs
- Livestock farms – it protects livestock from the adverse effects of high temperatures without using water-based mechanical ventilation, which has a harmful effect on farmed animals.
- Production plants – increases the efficiency of air-conditioning and other cooling systems, and reduces electricity costs
- Special-purpose warehouses and other buildings where a temperature regime needs to be maintained
COOL-R was designed to achieve the highest Solar Reflectance Index (SRI). The SRI is a function of two key parameters: reflectivity, which is a measure of the ability to reflect solar radiation, and emissivity – the ability to release the absorbed heat. Thanks to its unique technology, the innovative COOL-R coating has an very high SRI of 107. It is this value that demonstrates an efficiency that has been unattainable by the solutions available in the market to date.
The COOL-R coating allows roof temperature to be reduced almost instantly by nearly 70%, with a concurrent decrease of indoor temperature by even 10°C. COOL-R helps achieve a significant reduction of the cost of air-conditioning, which means reduced energy consumption and lower carbon emissions. The product is an absolute breakthrough in the global construction sector, also due to its unique combination of cooling and full waterproofing – at 200 kPa. A roof, like any other external envelope, forms a barrier between the building’s external and internal environment. However, in contrast to vertical envelopes, it is much more exposed to water. COOL-R is a waterproof material which protects the roof against water with just two layers that are 1 mm thick in total. Unlike extra layers of a roofing membrane or metal panels, it does not put a load on the roof structure. A square metre of the COOL-R coating weighs merely 1.22 kg. In addition, it should be noted that the coating’s life is more than 10 years (according to ETAG 005), and the solution is highly flexible (up to 450%), even at very low temperatures (-35°C).
The European Cool Roofs Council (ECRS) was founded in 2011 to develop scientific knowledge and researchin relation to “Cool Roof” technology and to promote the use of Cool Roof products and materials in the world. The association was founded as part of the European Commission’s programme – Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE), which sought to support the organisations dedicated to improvement of energy stability in Europe. According to the ECRC, the use of Cool Roof materials has a direct impact on increasing the sustainability of buildings, mitigating climate change and reducing the greenhouse effect. Currently, the members of the European Cool Roof Council include manufacturers, contractors, suppliers and distributors of roof coverings, consultants, non-profit organisations, government agencies, educational institutions and energy companies, and now also Selena, an innovation leader in the industry.