Colorsteel Maxx prepainted steel is designed for superior performance and toughness, it's perfectly suited to more extreme building environments, such as New Zealand's rugged coast.

As well as an increased colour palette, New Zealand Steel has also introduced solar reflectance technology into this flagship product. Solar reflectance technology helps buildings to stay cooler in summer by reflecting more of the sun's heat, compared to other roofing materials of similar colour with lower solar reflectance. It's included in each standard Colorsteel Maxx steel colour, at no additional cost. (However, Ebony cannot be produced with solar reflectance technology due to its pigment composition.)

When combined with standard insulation, solar reflectance technology can help any building maintain greater thermal comfort all year round, reducing annual cooling energy consumption by up to 20 per cent (testing undertaken in Australian conditions by BlueScope Steel, Australia).

In summer, solar reflectance technology acts like added insulation, making it easier to keep buildings cool. In winter, when we need all the warmth we can get, the cooling effect of solar reflectance technology is greatly reduced because the sun is lower in the sky and the days are shorter and often overcast.

Because the degree of expansion and contraction is reduced, solar reflectance technology also has the ability to extend a roof's lifespan.