Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory was awarded a grant to conduct a research project on cool walls. This is important for California cities to find ways to reduce building energy usage and to help with the urban heat island effect.  California already has a project investigating the impact of cool pavement.  This wall project will evaluate the types of wall materials that are now in the marketplace. The performance of those products will be analyzed using outdoor exposure in three climates in California.  In addition, the dirt-shedding capability and durability of these wall systems will be evaluated. New technologies for ultra-cool pigmentation are also part of the research, in the field of product development.  The project begins in July with the product characterization on exposure racks.  The entire project will take 3 years to complete.  Several MCA member manufacturers are providing samples of their metal wall systems in this R&D program.  MCA is also participating in the project in their seat at the Industry Advisory Committee.