You can increase efficiency in your home through energy efficient windows, and good insulation. By increasing the efficiency, you lower the amount of renewable energy you need. You lower your power needs through efficiency. One customer I know built their house and installed foam insulation and double insulated windows. His air conditioning technician recommended a larger unit than what was calculated by foam insulators to cool his house. As people go in and out through your house, he says you will loose a large amount of cool air in the summer. But if a house is energy efficient, why install a larger than needed unit? His technician refused to put in the unit the homeowner wanted. He told the homeowner he would only install the unit he recommended.
I strongly recommend foam insulation because it is worth the efficiency and the extra costs. There are other insulating products that are on the market that are just as good as foam. There are recycled paper or recycled blue jeans that are coated with some type of glue to help it stick in between the studs.
With foam, you must watch that it does not build up condensation. This may happen if you have too big differentials of heat and cold between your attic and the outside air. Foam installers do not recommend you to leave the gable ends open so the air can flow through it. They say the moisture will go in there and get trapped if it is completely closed. But how can it get trapped if you have two gable ends that are open, blowing fresh air in through one end and blowing it out the other end?
They say the differentials in heat will create condensation in your attic. I’ve never seen it happen in my mothers’ house and she has had the foam insulation for four years. I like the gable ends open to bring in fresh air naturally. They recommend sealed ends for a cocoon effect. But you will need to bring in fresh air.
Insulation is needed to help make your house energy efficient. Do you have enough?
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