International Coatings Scene
EUROPE
BY SEAN MILMO
EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT
MILMOCW@RODPUB.COM
Seeking recession-proof solutions
Paint and
coatings
companies
invest in
sustainable
solutions
during hard
economic
times.
During the recession, which is already
hitting large parts of Europe, there
will still be growth sectors in the
region’s coatings market some of which will
be driven by new government regulations.
One of these will be coatings helping to
make buildings more energy efficient, which
is the subject of legislation both at the level of
the European Union (EU) and among many of
its 27 member states.
Also, despite the recent sharp fall in oil
prices, householders are becoming increasingly aware of the need to find ways of curbing
the costs of heating and cooling their homes
because of the prospect that in the medium to
long term energy will be expensive.
Coatings companies in Europe are hoping
that the current push for greater energy sav-
ings will be a major impetus behind the sales
of some of their products.
In planning research and development projects, AkzoNobel has developed the concept of
“eco-premium” solutions in which energy efficiency is a key criteria within an overall sustainability strategy.
“Sustainability is key to our core strategies
and we aim to be the sustainable solutions
provider for our current and potential new markets,” said André Veneman, AkzoNobel’s sustainability director. “While our mainstream products
comply with the highest applicable environmental standards, our eco-premium solutions are
increasingly in demand by our customers.”
The company has recently introduced in
Europe, under the name Dulux Light &
Space, wall paint based on patented pigment
technology, which reflects up to twice as much
light around a room. As a result it saves up to
20% of the energy of the room’s lighting while
making small rooms look and feel more spacious compared to those coated with conventional emulsion paints.
The biggest potential for energy saving
coatings in the construction sector will be in
paints which help insulate buildings, particu-
larly those which contribute to reductions in
heat loss through walls, roofs and windows.
There could also be a rise in demand for coatings, which keep heat out of buildings during
the summer months by reflecting solar rays off
roofs. But outside of southern Europe, there is
less need for these “cool roof” coatings in most
of Europe due to the cooler climate.
Prospects for sales of insulation products have
been considerably boosted by recent EU legislation on energy performance of buildings to help
its reach by 2020 calling for 20-20-20% reductions in energy consumption, greenhouse gas
emissions and share of renewable materials. The
building sector is the largest user of energy and
the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide in the
region, accounting for 40% of energy consumption and of CO2 emissions.
In November the European Commission, the
EU Brussels-based executive, announced proposals to tighten up on energy regulations on
buildings, particularly existing homes. While
new buildings can need less than 3-5 liters of
heating oil per square meter of floor area per
year, existing buildings require on average 25
liters or even as much as 60.
“The biggest change suggested by the
Commission is that regulatory upgrading of
the energy efficiency of building should apply
to all buildings,” explained the commercial
manager of one European insulation products
company. “Under the current legislation it
applies only to buildings of over 1,000 square
meters, which make up less than 20% of the
total building stock.”
Both at the EU and national levels, governments are switching their attention from new
buildings to the need to raise the energy efficiency of older ones. In many European countries governments are offering homeowners a
range of financial incentives from grants, low-