The importance of the solar reflection index

In an industry committed to the environment and sustainability, the importance of initiatives to conserve energy and consume construction materials cannot be overemphasized.

The growing concern for protecting the environment has translated into a large number of initiatives, which are also driven and implemented by industries such as construction and materials. Among these initiatives are those aimed at creating sustainable buildings.

These buildings are often characterized by energy or water efficiency. But it can also be done by using alternative energy sources or by choosing the materials used in its construction.

The importance of these factors is not trivial, as one of the goals of sustainable architecture is to minimize the impact of the so-called "urban heat island". That is, an increase in the temperature of the city relative to the surrounding area

Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) in buildings to improve energy efficiency.

When constructing or renovating buildings or urban spaces, one of the solutions to mitigate this phenomenon is to choose materials with suitable thermophysical properties.

This is why the construction industry uses tests to measure optical properties that affect the temperature rise of materials. So, for example, the materials tested include those used for ceilings, pavements or facades of buildings and urban spaces.

For this purpose, laboratories usually carry out so-called solar reflectance index (SRI) tests. This is because the contribution of SRI to global warming is considered unquestionable.

Thus, the higher the Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) value obtained in laboratory testing of a surface, the lower the heat energy transmitted by said surface. Therefore, this material will help mitigate the urban heat island effect.