CRRC Rated Wall Products Directory Now Live!

PORTLAND, OR, USA — September 7, 2022

The Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) is pleased to announce the launch of the new CRRC Rated Wall Products Directory. The directory is the only publicly available database for the radiative properties of exterior wall products. The properties—solar reflectance and thermal emittance—provide information on how the product will impact building energy use, occupant comfort, and the surrounding environment. “The release of the directory means that, for the first time ever, independently verified solar reflectance and thermal emittance data for exterior wall products are broadly available to the public,” stated Audrey McGarrell who manages the CRRC Wall Rating Program.

Consumers can use the directory to identify products that may comply with a growing list of codes and programs that promote the use of wall products for reducing building energy use and mitigating urban heat islands. The free, online directory can be filtered by product type, color, manufacturer, or minimum radiative property values, and the search results can be easily shared with others with a click of a button.

The launch of the directory coincides with the recent approval of the first set of CRRC-rated wall products. “We are honored that our wall coatings were the first to receive CRRC ratings,” said Thomas Sharp, President of ThermaCote, Inc. “We know the directory will be a beneficial tool for consumers and specifiers.”

All products listed in the directory undergo testing and rating per the requirements of the CRRC Wall Rating Program. The program—which launched earlier this year and is modeled after the well-established CRRC Roof Rating Program—was developed over a two-year period in collaboration with many stakeholders from industry, government, and the building community. Many of the stakeholders serve on a CRRC Board-advisory committee that evaluates various aspects of the program, including the testing and weathering protocols that are appropriately suited for exterior paints, coatings, vinyl siding, metal panels, and other wall claddings.

“The wall directory will be a very important source of data, just as the CRRC’s roof directory has been for the past 20 years. We look forward to seeing the new directory grow as more products are rated” said CRRC Board and Wall Rating Program Committee member, David Cocuzzi.

An extensive research project funded by the California Energy Commission found that cool exterior walls save energy, lower indoor and outdoor air temperatures, and help slow smog formation. According to Ronnen Levinson of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, “cool exterior walls can save as much or more energy than the same size cool roof across California and the southern half of the United States.”

The CRRC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed in 1998 to develop accurate and credible methods for evaluating and labeling the radiative properties of roofing products, and to disseminate the information to all interested parties. In 2019, the CRRC expanded to include the rating of exterior wall products. Please contact [email protected] for more information about the directory and the CRRC Wall Rating Program.