Leading paint manufacturers in the country are going green by offering houses the much-needed comfort of coolness. As part of devising strategies to combat global warming, the companies have come out with a host of ‘green’ stuff that cool the interiors of houses built in hot tropical geography.
The companies vouch that these products not only reduces room temperature , but also has something to do with social cause. And for paint companies, the transformation from weather guard to heat guard products was a calculated move.
?There has always been a demand for such products which are not only functionally superior but also help in conserving the environment,? Ramakanth Akula, president, Nippon Paint told FE. The company has just introduced its Weatherbond Solareflect, the first of its kind offering consumers the promise of cooler interiors. The new product has opened the entry of Nippon Paint into the premium exterior emulsion category. The company, which claims that its sunblock technology with reduction of surface temperature by up to 5 degree celsious is something different from competitors.
?With extensive research and development, taking into account the Indian weather conditions, it has been a huge challenge for us to carve out this product. This new product is one of a kind that the market or the consumers haven’t seen before, offering heat resistance an essential for the Indian market. The product also offers excellent coverage and is also environment friendly keeping in spirit of being green?, he said adding that ?we expect close to 10% of the total revenues emerging out of this product.?
Nerolac, on its part, has come out with a new product, Nerolac Excel Total, with heat guard technology. Touted as specially designed for application in extreme tropical conditions of humidity and heat, it has a property to reduce the temperature of the interiors by up to 5 degree celsious as compared to normal exterior cement paints. Said Sukhpreet Singh, general manager, marketing, Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd,? Apart from just addressing the need for ‘cooler interiors’, the idea behind the product is much larger. It is also a low volatile organic compound (VOC) product which means it is also relatively cleaner, safer and healthier paint product as compared to other exterior paints. The impact is expected to be positive from all perspectives such as consumers, intermediaries like painters and trade, manufacturers and living environment. For consumers, it is an immediate benefit of cooler interiors coupled with energy savings.
For painters it is a safer, less hazardous option; for manufacturers like Kansai Nerolac it is an opportunity to innovate and showcase technological capabilities. For the living environment it is a step towards more sustainable living.?
According to Nerolac, by using Excel Total the consumers can get the interior temperature down and also save electricity over a period of time. Kansai Nerolac Paints has been at the forefront of paint manufacturing for more than 89 years pioneering a wide spectrum of quality paints. Kansai Nerolac claims to be the second largest paint company in India and is the leader in Industrial segment, having a turnover of Rs 1,900 crore. The company has four strategically located manufacturing units all over India and a strong dealer network across the country. It manufactures a diversified range of products ranging from architectural coatings for homes, offices, hospitals and hotels to sophisticated industrial coatings for most of the industries.
According to Percy Jijina, general manager, decorative, Jotun India Pvt Ltd, a house or building has a tendency to store excess heat throughout the day, which becomes trapped in various parts of the structure. Hence, the need to bring those areas to a more acceptable temperature requires customers to spend on various cooling solutions such as air-conditioning. With the constant seasonal changes and extreme temperatures that exist in various parts of the country, the exterior of many houses and buildings quickly fade, chip, darken, crack and eventually lose their lustre.
