As AI data centers drive up power burdens, SP Samhwa targets the heat-reflective paint market

[Financial News] As the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) increases the power consumption and cooling costs of data centers, the paint industry is also expanding into the energy-saving market. With growing demand to reduce cooling loads by cutting heat entering from outside buildings, in addition to improving the power efficiency of servers themselves, heat-reflective paint is drawing attention as a functional material for industrial facilities.
According to industry sources on the 26th, SP Samhwa, formerly SAMHWA PAINT INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD., has begun expanding the market for its energy-saving heat-reflective paint, "Cool & Save," targeting AI data centers and large plants.
Heat-reflective paint is a functional coating that reflects infrared rays in sunlight, suppresses the rise in a building's surface temperature, and reduces the heat transferred inside. Its main purpose is to lower cooling loads and help reduce power consumption.
Data centers require significant power not only to run servers but also to cool them, so interest in related technologies is growing. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global data center power consumption is expected to nearly double from 485 TWh in 2025 to 950 TWh in 2030, driven by the spread of AI and other factors.
SP Samhwa's Cool & Save uses special pigments with heat-blocking properties to reflect infrared rays and reduce heat transfer into buildings. In product evaluations by the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) in the United States, it recorded an initial solar reflectance index (SRI) of 105 and a solar reflectance of 0.84. Even after three years of outdoor exposure, it maintained an SRI of 104 and a reflectance of 0.83.
Industry observers note that paint makers are expanding beyond the simple aesthetics and protection of buildings into functional areas such as energy savings and carbon emissions reduction. As more data centers and industrial facilities consume large amounts of power, technologies that reduce heat entering through building exteriors could also serve as a supplementary way to improve energy efficiency.
An SP Samhwa official said, "As climate change risks and industrial electricity costs converge, demand for energy-saving paints is rising." The official added, "We plan to expand their use to data centers and large plants."
[email protected] Kang Kyung-rae Reporter