Keeping cool on the court

By Emma Peterson. 

CoolTop® courts balance the need for a high-performance surface with the push for sustainable options. 

Recently, the American Coatings Association (ACA) released their 2024 sustainability report. In this publication, ACA, which is a volunteer-based nonprofit trade association, highlighted members of their association’s work towards sustainable practices. This displayed everything from projects like Sherwin-Williams' work towards using renewable energy sources to AkzoNobel’s analysis and reduction of their carbon footprint. As ACA membership is responsible for the manufacturing of over 90% of the coatings sold in the United States, they also highlighted new coating technologies that are more sustainable. One such was California Sports Surfaces’ CoolTop coating. 

The CoolTop coating is used for athletic courts specifically, like those used for pickleball, tennis or basketball. These courts are carefully engineered to give players support and comfort, while reducing injuries from falling or slipping. But these courts are also a big sustainability issue. They often are huge contributors to heat sinks and urban heat islands, as the playing surface retains heat for hours. Over the years, many members of the industry have tried to develop a brighter playing surface, but they often ran into issues with glare or debris.  

But the CoolTop coating has managed to balance all of this, supporting players’ performance while addressing heat and reflectivity concerns. With a solar reflective rating that is 20-30% higher than a standard court, CoolTop, in comparison to traditional courts, has shown temperature reductions of up to 33% for similar colors. It does not sacrifice any player comfort; in fact, the reduction of temperature is so noticeable CoolTop can help athletes perform better in hot weather! 

For more about California Sports Surfaces’ CoolTop courts and technology, read the full article in ACA’s Sustainability Report 2024.