Energy Savings with Radiant Heat Barriers
Consumers are less concerned about how energy
barriers work than they are about their effect on
utility bills. This is much less than the 97 percent
reduction in attic radiant heat flow because other forms
of heat flow contribute to the total cooling (or
heating) load. Data can expect to vary with region. The
following data provided by The Tennessee Valley
Authority, Chattanooga, Tennessee on Performance
Testing of Radiant Barriers demonstrates the
economic savings possible for a typical home:
- All the Radiant Barrier configurations yielded sizable percent savings (17 percent, based on ENERGY STAR Evaluation) and statistically significant reductions in summer attic heat transfer compared to the non-RB case. Also, as the ambient temperature increases, the savings also increase.
- The RB on top was the best summer performer. It consistently showed heat flux reductions compared to the non-RB case of about 40 percent for almost all ambient temperatures and even showed savings (17 percent) during mild temperature and night summer conditions.
- The RB configurations provide statistically significant reductions in winter attic heat fluxes in many, but not all, situations. The percent savings during night hours and during below 35° conditions, when heating loads are the highest, are usually sizable (from 6 to 23 percent) and the differences between the RB configurations and the non-RB case are often statistically significant during these conditions.
(Sources: Tennessee Valley Authority - Chattanooga, TN)
