Thermal Efficiency for Low Cost Houses using Translucent Water-Based Acrylic Paint

Abstract

There are now different dimensions on how energy use in a house can be more efficient, sustainable and environmentally benign. In most houses, energy is consumed in its raw stage, in the form of fossil fuels which emit carbon dioxide causing global warming and climate change. Various scientific reports have indicated that inefficient energy consumption contribute to global climate change. International and national interventions are consistently advocating for responsible energy efficiency and renewable energy use in buildings. As part of thermal insulation, they also tacitly approved of any other means that would lead to efficient energy control and usage in buildings. This includes the use of thermal materials or combination of thermal materials to reduce the transfer of the inner space and the surrounding of the building. Against this backdrop, translucent water-based acrylic paint is a power means to provide thermal efficiency in houses. The paper also accentuates the importance of thermal efficiency for low cost houses using translucent water-based acrylic paint, especially in the rural remote areas of South Africa.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p2961