It seems the solar industry isn’t alone in finding ways to make black the new green (see Solar companies not yet beaming about new nanotube black).

Minneapolis-based Valspar (NYSE: VAL) today announced the industry’s first solar reflective aluminum coating for building exteriors, ahead of the green certification game.

The Flourspar SR coating is unique because it's available in a variety of colors, like black, red, green and blue, and can offer a signficant heat savings over its non solar reflective (SR) treated cousin.

Mary Ann Johnson, marketing manager at Valspar, told Cleantech Group the company's SR-treated black has an SR value of .26, while the non-treated black has a value of .06, and according to Johnson, that translates to a 20-30 degree (Fahrenheit) difference on the surface.

Like a car, if you buy a white one versus a black one, your white car will be much cooler in temperature, explained Johnson.

“We’re able to get you the temperature level of that white car by using [our] different [type of] pigment.”

Currently the U.S. Green Building Council, the group that initiated the internationally recognized LEED certification, only recognizes roof energy efficient coating and lacks a rating system for the sides of buildings.

Flurospar SR is the first of its kind for the extrusion business, which includes anything aluminum like window frames, curtain walls, shutters, awnings, louvers, wall panels and other components with aluminum materials, the company claims.

The company says architects and building owners can choose a spray-applied, factory cured paint coating that reduces the amount of energy used to cool buildings—yes, even when painted black.

The SR treated aluminum will keep building components cooler than bare aluminum, anodized aluminum and comparable paint colors, said the company.

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, buildings consume 70 percent of U.S. electricity, and are responsible for 39 percent of U.S. CO2 emissions.

By introducing the product to the market, the company hopes to create a demand and have extruded elements of buildings become recognized under LEED and Energy Star standards.

“It’s an obvious win for everyone. It’s something that should be done,” said Johnson.

“They’re looking to cool down buildings, especially in the south, and this is something we know we can help with.”

Currently Valspar, a paint and coatings company in business since 1806, has roughly 90 products that that are on Energy Star’s listings in the roof products division, all of which have the SR pigment in them, said Johnson.

“Energy Star doesn’t yet recognize the aluminum extrusion market, but we’re putting the product out there in hopes the market will follow,” continued Johnson.

Energy Star is the U.S. Department of Energy’s guide for energy efficient products which include appliances to paint and coatings.

While Valspar has been working with the pigments since the 1980s, its SR Cool Roof coil applied pigment was introduced to the metal roofing market in 2000, and it claims it is the first to bring the SR pigment to the aluminum extrusion market.

“Pigment companies brought the pigment to the commercial market,” explained Johnson. “It actually came out of military technology. They used it and realized they could save energy with it.”

According to Johnson, the U.S. military used the pigment in the 1960s in the Vietnam War for camouflage purposes.

By applying the reflection pigment, also known as PS04, the object would merge with its surroundings in visible and infrared light, and more importantly, the pigmented gear would show the natural reflection of the surrounding environment.

Johnson said Valspar has taken Flurospar SR to a few companies over the last few months, and they’ve received a positive and encouraging response.

“Architects intuitively get this. It’s a big temperature difference.”

The new coating is apparently 100 percent recyclable, noting that approximately a third of the aluminum used in the U.S. comes from recycled material.

Valspar Corporation is the sixth largest coatings company in the world, and manufactures and distributes coating and paints globally.

The company has more than 9,500 employees in over 25 countries and offers products to several markets, including wood, industrial and automotive coatings.