Can A Radiant Barrier Below Your South Carolina Roof Cut Your Energy Bills?

You don't need a psychic to tell you that energy costs are only going to get higher as the years roll on. That's why reducing your energy usage for the long haul should be a high priority for any homeowner. A radiant barrier under your South Carolina roof can bounce heat energy out of your attic and may lower your power bill at the same time.

Exactly What Is A Radiant Barrier?

The phrase “radiant barrier” may sound like science fiction to most homeowners, but it is actually science fact. All you need to do is look inside a metal thermos bottle or across a hot parking lot full of cars, and you'll likely see a radiant barrier in action.

Radiant barriers are often metallic films or surfaces that are used to reflect radiant heat energy back in the direction it came from. By nature, these barriers do not absorb or emit significant amounts of radiant heat.

In a thermos, for example, the silvery lined inner surface keeps coffee hot by reflecting its radiant heat energy back into the coffee.

Similarly, the interior of a car can be kept cool under the sun by placing foil-lined visors in the front and rear windshields. Any visor could block out the sun, but a visor covered with a true radiant barrier, like aluminum, can block the sun without absorbing any heat energy.

So, both the visor and the car stay cool!

How Does A Radiant Barrier Work Under My South Carolina Roof?

First, it is important to understand that radiant barriers do not work like insulation. While insulation blocks heat conduction (transfer through direct contact) and heat convection (heat transfer through movement of fluid/gas/air), radiant barriers block heat transfer via radiation.

Your roof, like any other object that has a measurable temperature, can absorb and emit radiant heat. The sun showers solar radiation on your shingles, they absorb the energy, and they emit and pass the heat down to your wood roof deck.

This heat energy can be visualized using an infrared camera. Thermal imaging is often simulated in war and action movies like Predator or Behind Enemy Lines. In the case of your attic, an infrared camera could show how the radiant heat from your roof deck ultimately is absorbed by your insulation.

But if a radiant barrier is attached below your roof trusses, it can reflect the radiant heat from your roof deck back up and away from the attic insulation

How Much Money Can I Save By Using A Radiant Barrier Under My South Carolina Roof?

No one will argue the fact that radiant barriers can reduce the amount of heat energy that transfers from your roof to your attic and insulation. But putting a dollar amount on the energy savings you may experience can be difficult, since it depends on so many other mitigating factors.

Climate, attic insulation and shade coverage are all key items that dictate how effective radiant barriers can be in reducing your home's energy consumption.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) points out that some studies claim a 5-10% reduction in cooling costs cab be achieved in regions where the weather is predominantly sunny and warm. In cooler parts of the country, however, the DOE suggests that attic insulation is a more effective way to reduce energy consumption and costs.

Ask Your South Carolina Roofing Company About Radiant Barrier Energy Savings

To get a more realistic estimate on the energy savings that radiant barriers can offer your home, try to talk to someone in your neighborhood or community that has them already installed.

Or, call a few local South Carolina roofing contractors and ask them what they know about radiant barriers. The combined experience of a few established South Carolina roofing companies should provide some useful information about radiant barriers and energy savings.

At Findlay Roofing we are happy to tell you all we can about radiant barriers and other energy saving ideas for your roof and home. Whether you live in Spartanburg, Charleston or any other town in South Carolina, we invite you to contact us today!