A new application of Sm0.5Sr0.5Co1-x CrxO3 as a controlled near-infrared reflective inorganic oxide has been developed. Samples were prepared by a solid-state reaction to form a perovskite solid solution with an orthorhombic structure. Then, the effect of Cr3+ cation doping on the crystal structure, electrical conductivity, solar absorbance, and thermal emittance properties of the (SmSr0.5Co1-xCr3+)-Sr-0.5 was investigated. The electrical conductivity decreases upon the substitution of Cr3+ ions for Co-3/Co4+ because of the appearance of Cr3+-O-2-Cr3+ and Co3+-O-2--Cr3+ units, reducing the amount of the Co3+-O Co4+ network. The Cr3+ ions doped into Co3+ sites were found to enhance the solar absorbance from 68.2% to 91.6% and to simultaneously increase the infrared emittance from 0.25 to 0.93. The mobility of infrared optical phonons from free electrons decreases upon Cr3+ doping, which weakens the scattering effect and enhances the absorption. Based on these properties, we can control the Cr3+ dopant concentration of Sm(0.5)Sr(0.5)Coi_xCr(x)O(3) to meet our demands. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.