LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A local environmental nonprofit called Alchemical Opus is coating rooftops in the Arts District with ultra-reflective paint at no cost to business owners, aiming to reduce indoor temperatures and lower electricity bills across the neighborhood.
Tony Chavez hand-paint rooftops in the Arts District to combat urban temperature spikes. Chavez, who grew up in the area, said he launched the effort after witnessing how high heat and rising air conditioning costs affect small businesses.
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How the technology works
The coating uses a special ultra-reflective paint designed to deflect sunlight rather than absorb it.
“So, instead of, like, most of your types of roofing that would actually absorb the heat, this one actually reflects it off and bounces it back,” Chavez said.
Chavez said the difference is noticeable as soon as the coating dries. The nonprofit has already completed free paint jobs on about a dozen valley businesses.
Business owners report savings
Sin Amor Studio, a vintage and upcycled clothing business in the Arts District, received a free paint job through the program. Co-owner Diana Valdez said the results have been measurable, with energy bills down.
“And it’s dropped it by at least $60 to $70 a month this year compared to last year, last summer,” Valdez said.
Valdez said customers have also noticed the change inside the store.
“I had a customer say that she was gonna give me a 10 based on her AC and how cool our store was,” Valdez said. “Like it was just cooler than other businesses that she had walked into.”
Chavez’s vision for the valley
Chavez said the Arts District sits in an urban heat island, making the work especially urgent for both businesses and residents.
“I noticed, again, us being here in the Arts District, we are definitely in urban heat island hot zone right now,” Chavez said. “Because of that, that can affect businesses, that can affect the locals that live here.”
He said he hopes the effort extends beyond the neighborhood.
“I’d like to see Vegas slowly become more and more of an actual eco-city,” Chavez said, “actually showing us that we can actually survive in this kind of climate.”
Chavez has been operating the nonprofit for two years. Ten more businesses are signed up to be painted before the end of summer. He said he hopes the city of Las Vegas will provide more support for small businesses in the Arts District and pursue additional urban planning efforts to keep the area cooler.
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