The thermal and radiative environment of human life space is characterized strongly by solar radiation and by the radiation from surrounding walls as well as by air temperature and humidity. To consider the environmental radiation quantitatively, absorptance spectra and total emittance of the surfaces should be measured properly. In this work we measure spectra of normal incidence absorptance of such surfaces in a near-ultraviolet through infrared region of wavelength of 0.30-11 μm. On the basis of measured spectra we evaluate solar absorptance of the surfaces to respond to the needs of radiation characteristics of the surfaces in the fields of architecture, life science, and solar engineering. Objective surfaces of the measurement are surfaces of indoor and outdoor environments: cloths, indoor wall materials, painted surfaces, ceramics, bricks, outdoor wall materials, road materials, leaves, etc. We also observe the transition of the absorptance spectra of a water-wet cement surface in a drying process. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.