Cooling Paint: Reduce your heating and cooling bills

Choosing the right color for your exterior walls plays a big role in your energy-saving strategy. There's a significant difference in the "reflectance" between dark paints and light paints. It's this reflectance that causes the paint to either absorb and hold heat, or to reflect and dissipate the heat.

Darker Paints to retain heat from the sun...

Walls that are painted a dark tone absorb 70 to 90 percent of the radiant energy from the sun, a good choice in areas with very cold winters and mild summers.  This effect is enhanced with matte or lower gloss paint finishes. So, if you have a room that needs more warmth, consider darker, warmer shades of paint.

Lighter Paints to reflect heat and keep rooms cooler...

Lighter colors, which reflect the sun's heat, are more suitable for areas with hot summers and milder winters.  Higher gloss paints have a similar effect, raising the overall reflectance of the walls. For rooms that are too hot, consider repainting in lighter or higher sheen paint colors.

White or light ceilings amplify your lighting...

Also, painting your ceilings with light colors reflects light downward, making the room lighting more efficient. You can then use lower wattage lighting, saving a few more bucks.

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