Saturday 16 April 2011

Insulation - a big piece in your green puzzle

Insulation is the single most energy-efficient addition you can make to your home. Insulation provides a barrier to heat flowing in and out of your home and is essential to keeping your home warm in winter and cool in summer.

What what Types are there?

There are two main types of ceiling insulation – bulk insulation and reflective insulation. They are made of different substances which will be covered in the next post.

Bulk insulation resists the transfer of heat by trapping pockets of air within its structure. Different materials will provide different insulation properties. They also come in different thickness which is referred to as an R number. Its thermal resistance is essentially the same regardless of the direction of heat flow through it.

Reflective insulation works by reflecting heat from its surface usually shiny aluminium foil laminated onto paper or plastic. The total R-values for reflective insulation are supplied as ‘up and down’ values. Total values depend on where and how the reflective insulation is installed. It’s important to check that the values provided by the manufacturer relate to your particular installation situation.

Selecting the appropriate level and type of insulation for your house will depend on the climatic conditions and must account for seasonal as well as daily variations in temperature. Establish whether the insulation will be predominantly needed to keep heat out or in (or both).

How much will I save?

This is very much dependent on how much you put in and how what material you use.

In the heating season, insulation reduces both your electric bill and your fuel bill. If you have an all-electric home, your really need the maximum recommended amount of insulation just to keep the electric bill smaller than your mortgage payment. 

The flow of heat is slowed down by insulation. That reduces the amount of heat needed per month from your fuel. It also cuts the electric bill by reducing the running time on your furnace blower or hot water circulation pump.

Spring and fall are the best times of the year to do the work when it is not too hot or too cold. As the seasons change, your work will start paying off immediately. You can plan the job and learn exactly what to do any time of year.

Conclusion

Insulation is one of the most cost effective ways to help with reducing your cooling and heating bills. However it is generally used in the roof cavity of your house. So its only one part of total solution required to reduce your bill. If you don't have insulation or your unsure about what is up there. I would suggest to take a peak and see if it requires a top up or to be replaced to ensure that your heating and cooling bills are reduced.

23 comments:

  1. Thanks for the info! Definitely following!

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  2. Thank you for the information. This should help with my bills if I ever get around to doing something about it.

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  3. Thanks for the info. I'll try to be more green !

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  4. I didnt know there differenet types of insulation!

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  5. This is some excellent information, great write up.

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  6. Thanks for the post! following now.

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  7. good information following now :)

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  8. when i first seen the picture... i thought it was ice cream haha

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  9. I love it when people post stuff like this... that others can actually put into practice! noyce!

    (I'm looking at designing some reflective/absorbing blinds... we can talk later maybe?)

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  10. makes me remember the big insulation scandal here in australia

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  11. yeah does look like icecream doesnt it

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  12. It's so hot here atm, I'm more worried about keeping cool! Perhaps do a feature on air conditioners?
    great write-up otherwise

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  13. Hmm quite interesting post, do you think you do a piece on using thermal mass to conserve energy from day to night?

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  14. Wow your blog is very detailed I like it, I know im going to save money cause of you, thanks!

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  15. Living in a tropical country, I don't think I need much insulation :D.

    It's really hot and humid over here. But that might be a good thing.

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  16. wow I never knew all that

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  17. informative. thank you. very useful post.

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  18. interesting read i did not know that about insulation

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  19. Wow, i'm definately going to follow you. It's all about green energy nowadays.

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  20. I love posts like this one. I will follow you my friend.

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  21. Is there a point to double insulation?

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  22. double insulation does help especially in extreme conditions

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