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Do the colors of building materials affect the ability of my home to use passive solar heating and cooling?

Last Updated: December 09, 2009

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Yes. In cold climates, dark colors should be used to absorb heat. In hot climates, light colors should be used to reflect heat. A material that appears to be black absorbs all light. So something that is black is absorbing all light that hits it, and this light is turned into heat, which makes the black object heat up. White materials reflect all light (or almost all), so they do not heat up nearly as quickly as black objects. Perhaps the most dramatic impact of color used in buiding materials is with roofing. Research indicates that roof color can impact home cooling costs significantly. Light-colored roofs help reduce heat gain to the attic.

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