by Brianna Crandall — August 19, 2016 — Of interest to facilities managers who have who have considered using building envelope components with solar reflective finishes to keep their buildings cooler, the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) recently released an updated document describing the test procedures and performance requirements for pigmented organic coatings applied to aluminum, fiber reinforced thermoset or wood and cellulosic composite profiles for windows, doors, wall panels, skylights, sloped glazing and similar products.
The update was made as a clarification to the requirements for outdoor or accelerated weathering testing. The document, AAMA 643-16 Voluntary Specification, Performance Requirements and Test Procedures for Solar Reflective Finishes, was originally released in 2013.
Manny Mayer, architectural products manager at Tiger Drylac, explains:
Advances in coatings technologies for architectural products have provided the opportunity to expand the use of solar reflective coatings. Selecting high-performance coatings with these solar reflective attributes can positively impact the energy efficiency associated with all exterior coated building components. The primary purpose for utilizing coatings with solar reflective properties is to keep the coated surfaces cooler than they would be with standard coatings.
This specification is a supplement to the existing specifications (AAMA 613, 614, 615, 623, 624, 625, 653, 2603, 2604 and 2605) and does not in any way supersede the performance requirements contained in those documents, particularly the weathering requirements, notes the organization.
AAMA 643-16 Voluntary Specification, Performance Requirements and Test Procedures for Solar Reflective Finishes, as well as other AAMA documents, may be purchased from AAMA’s online store.
