Energy Efficiency

• Radiant barriers are materials that are installed in buildings to reduce summer heat gain and winter heat loss, and hence to reduce building heating and cooling energy usage.
• Radiant barriers work by reducing heat transfer by thermal radiation across the air space between the roof deck and the attic floor, where conventional insulation is usually placed.
• Generally, installing radiant barrier in the attic will reduce heat gain through the ceiling by 40%, typically leading up to a 17% reduction on heating and cooling utility bills.
• A basic material property is the “reflectivity” (also called the “reflectance”). This is a measure of how much radiant heat is reflected by a material.
• Radiant barriers can also reduce indoor heat losses through the ceiling in the winter.

• Ventilation promotes a cooler attic in the summer and a drier attic in the winter. By exhausting heated air from the attic, a good ventilation system will help keep the rest of the house cooler with less energy usage. In cold months, ventilation prevents moisture build-up in the attic. As warm, moist air rises into a cold attic, it can condense under the roof deck, causing the decking and shingles to distort and deteriorate.
• A solar powered fan can be installed, saving on energy costs by using the power of the sun.