Color and Temperature: How They Connected?

We all know that certain colors heat up when exposed to sunlight – that’s why we don’t walk barefoot on black asphalt in the summer. This color-temperature relationship affects your home comfort, too, and the amount you pay for heating and cooling.

Understanding Color and Temperature Effects

How the human eye perceives the color of objects in our surroundings depends on whether they reflect or absorb light. Objects that absorb more light look darker, and those that reflect light appear lighter in color. Light itself is a form of energy, so objects that soak it up also get warmer. Here’s what this means in practical terms inside and outside your home:

• On the exterior. Dark-colored roofing and cladding absorb more solar light waves, so they naturally heat up. This heat energy then transfers into the walls and attic, and your living space. That extra heat makes your HVAC work harder and use more energy.
• On the interior. Indoors, the color of surfaces — like the ceilings and walls – affects how often you use electric lighting. Because darker colors absorb light, they make a room darker, so it takes more artificial illumination to brighten it.

Tips for Using Color for Better Temperature Control

When making updates around your home, here are some ways you can use color to control temperature and save energy:

• Opt for a cool roof. A light-colored or “cool” roofing material reduces how much heat transfers into your living space and the workload on your air conditioner.
• Choose light color cladding. Go with a crisp white or off-white tint that reflects sizzling-hot sunlight and helps keep your home’s interior cooler.
• Pick pale interior colors. Using lighter shades for paint, furniture and decor items and you’ll need less artificial illumination to brighten up the rooms.
• Use “cool” colors to feel cooler. Our brains are programmed to interpret “cool” shades like green and blue as being several degrees cooler than “hot” colors like red or orange.

For more advice about using color and temperature effects to improve energy efficiency in your Orlando home, contact us today at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).