New CRRC Rating Program for Exterior Walls, First in the World

PORTLAND, OR, USA — January 17, 2022

The Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) is excited to announce the launch of the world’s first energy efficiency ratings program for exterior wall materials. Modeled after the CRRC Roof Rating Program — which has been adopted by states and municipalities across the United States and replicated in the European Union — the new program will provide the public with information about the radiative performance of various wall materials.

Based on the surface radiative properties of solar reflectance and thermal emittance, the ratings will inform consumers about a product’s ability to reflect sunlight and emit any heat that was absorbed. The public will be able to see the product ratings by accessing the free online CRRC Rated Wall Products Directory, and on CRRC labels and logos. These resources will help consumers identify products that comply with a growing list of codes and programs that require or promote the use of solar-reflective walls for reducing building energy use or mitigating the impacts of the urban heat island effect.

The development of the Wall Rating Program took over two years and included many stakeholders from industry, government, and the building community. Several of those stakeholders currently serve on a CRRC Board-advisory committee composed of 27 people representing 21 different organizations. The committee evaluates various aspects of the Wall Rating 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 Rating Program kickoff is an exciting next step for the CRRC,” said Richard Slomko, CRRC Board Chair. “It has brought many new members and stakeholders to the CRRC from the wall industry that will help strengthen our technical knowledge and continue to promote the CRRC mission.”

The rating of surfaces other than roofs has been a strategic planning goal for the CRRC since 2009. The impetus to implement action was an extensive research study on solar-reflective walls that found annual HVAC energy savings for residential and commercial buildings across California and U.S. Climates Zones 1 - 4. The study also identified the lack of a third-party rating system for exterior walls. The CRRC stepped up to address that important need with the creation of the Wall Rating Program.

“We’re very enthusiastic to see the culmination of several years of work,” said Jeff Steuben, CRRC Executive Director. “The development of this program would not have been possible without the hard work of all the volunteers who served on our wall committees and the generous contributions of the program’s Founding Members.”

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 the CRRC at [email protected] or (866) 465-2523 for more information on its programs.