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How much can I expect to save with insulation improvements?
How
much can I save?
How
much you can save
depends on the access you have to your insulating
surfaces, look at the chart
below and pick the statement that comes the
closest to matching your
situation.
Your
Situation
|
Potential for Savings (%
of fuel bill)
|
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Early
stages of planning for new construction1
|
40-70%,
100% if you are planning a zero energy home.
The planning phase of construction is THE best time
to get a whopping return on insulation upgrades.
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House
is in construction but no insulation yet2
|
30-60%,
last minute changes in insulation may not go over well with your
contractor but he/she will get over it if you are willing to work with
them on cost
|
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Existing
house with plans for gutting and major renovation2
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30-60%
|
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Existing
house with plans for minor renovation
|
5-40%
depending on the renovation. If the area you renovate happens to also
be a weak part of the envelope you may get a big return.
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Existing
house with no plans for renovation but the basement and attic are
unfinished
|
Up to
30%, 40% possible but not common.
You can get a good return from air sealing an attic
or stone foundation. Also
uninsulated foundations can yield a good return with the first R5 that
you add.
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You
have an old house with little or no insulation in the walls, attic, or
basement
|
40-60%
Congratulations! There are many places to get a fast return on your
insulation investment.
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Existing
house with no plans for renovation and the basement, attic, and
cathedral ceilings are finished
|
See
“weatherizing a house” below.
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Considering
new siding
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5-40%
If the walls have no insulation there’s a large opportunity for savings
by adding insulation. Adding
a layer of rigid foam before new siding can help but it’s impact will
be less if your walls already have some insulation in them.
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Considering
a new roof
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5-40%,
Here’s an opportunity to add insulation to the roof or make the
existing insulation airtight. If
the roof was a weak spot previously the potential for savings is high.
Having an airtight “lid” on the home provides benefits for the whole
home.
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Considering
window replacement
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5-20%,
over 20% is possible but not common.
Good quality storm windows can improve your window
air-tightness and R-value at a reasonable cost.
If greater than 30% of your wall area is glass
consider reducing the size of some of your windows when replacing them.
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Weatherizing
the house: i.e. adding weather stripping to the doors, windows, and
attic hatches, replacing door thresholds, sealing visible holes with
caulk, foam inserts for the electrical outlets, etc.
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5-20%,
over 20% is possible but not common.
If you are really serious about weatherizing have an
infrared scan done to identify unseen locations of air leakage, your
opportunities to save will increase.
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1.Important
note: At the early
planning stage innovators are able to build homes and buildings that
are 50-70%
more efficient than average at the SAME COST as conventional
construction. How?
They carefully down size, or "right size", the heating
system
to fit the high efficiency insulation system.
The increased cost of the shell is offset by the decreased
cost of the
heating system and the house cost the same.
I've personally participated in such projects so I know it
works. Here are
some links to a couple of projects
that you should know about Coldham
Hartman, FOAM-TECH). This approach is still
considered risky by many, especially
heating and cooling system professionals but many industry insiders,
myself
included, think it is where we need to be going.
So, consider it if you are the “early adopter” type. You
need to
hire a consultant to design a high efficiency building envelope and
then
calculate the heat load of your building so that you can size your
heating
system to that load.
2. Energy
Star™ homes target a
minimum of 15% savings over a minimally code compliant home. This target combines
savings from lighting,
appliances, spacing heating/cooling AND the building envelope. Insulation-Guide believes
that in the stage
of new construction and full house renovation (gutting the interior)
you can
shoot for a higher percent savings.
Like Energy Star™, you don’t get these savings without
investing in
energy efficient methods and materials.
Return to Home page from the Save with Insulation page
Below is a site that can help you to plan for maximum savings based on the situation you are in. Take a look.
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