The question “What is the payback of a Radiant Heat Barrier?” is hard to answer. There are too many variables involved (amount of solar radiation a roof receives, location of air conditioner ductwork, etc) to calculate a flat savings amount. Radiant Heat Barrier, in the peak of the summer, will lower the attic temperature around 30 degrees. This will have a significant impact on your air condition
ing equipment that is in the attic. One rule of thumb is that a Radiant Heat Barrier will cut the run time of an air conditioner in half. Normally the air conditioning cost is around 50% of your electric bill giving a reduction of 25% of your total bill. A way to estimate how much of your bill goes to cooling is by comparing the months that your air does not run to your peak summer months. If your bill more than doubles, then you are a good candidate for a Radiant Heat Barrier. Another rule of thumb to tell if a Radiant Heat Barrier is right for you is to see how hot your attic gets in the summer. If it gets over 130 degrees at the peak of the summer in your attic, then a Radiant Heat Barrier will benefit you. Finally, if your house feels unbalanced having some rooms hotter than others, a Radiant Heat Barrier will help balance your air conditioning equipment by putting your ducts and air conditioning equipment in a cool atmosphere.
