 |
| Porch Roof Replacement (6 Square Roof) |
 | |
| Scotts Contracting-Porch Roof Replacement |
If you answered YES to any of the above questions its not too late to make your Building more Energy Efficient
- Did the first Snow of the Year catch you unprepared for winter?
- Is there enough insulation in your attic, walls, or floor?
- Do you feel cold air drafts around your windows and doors?
- Are your Heating bills higher this year than past years?
- Have you chosen to become an active participant to Reduce the Earth's Climate Change?
Stop Cold Air Drafts in the Exterior Walls of Your Building by
- Attic Insulation Level Should be a Minimum Level R-49
- Wall Insulation Level Minimum Level R-13
- Flooring Insulation Minimum Level R-30
- Basement Interior Wall Minimum Level R-11
Additional Insulation Information can be found:Insulating Roofs, Walls, and Floors , Attic Insulation and Attic Energy Solutions , Roof and Attic Ventilation , Fall Home Check Up Guide with Photos
- Installing Weather Stripping around your Doors and Windows
- Seal all Exterior Wall Electrical Boxes with Electrical Box Sealer
- Seal Exterior Obtrusion's in Exterior Walls with Caulk or Spray Foam
Scotts Contracting is available to assist you in Lowering your Buildings Energy Needs- Click here to email: scottscontracting@gmail.com for any additional questions or to request a Free Green Site Evaluation.
NOTE: For Every $1-Dollar Spent on Weatherization will Return a $2 Savings on your Energy Bills
Scotts Contracting Guarantees that with proper insulation levels andstopping the Cold Air Drafts in your Building you will save money on your Heating Bills.Scotty
Email scottscontracting@gmail.com and Scotty will provide a Free Estimate to Fix any of the Above Issues on your Home. I can also provide a Cost Saving Analysis using: eQUEST® Building Performance Software, that will provide a ROI on your Investment.
(NOTE: I use the eQUEST® Building Performance Software for determining Cost Effective Solutions for: a detailed comparative analysis of building designs and technologies by applying sophisticated building energy use simulation techniques ...accomplished by combining schematic and design development building creation wizards, an energy efficiency measure (EEM) wizard and a graphical results display module with a complete up-to-date DOE-2 (version 2.2) building energy use simulation program. You can read the eQUEST Overview to get a more complete summary of the features and capabilities of this excellent program.)
Weatherization doesn't cost it Saves! - Rule of Thumb: For Every $1 Spent on Weatherization- You will Save $2 on your Home's Energy Bills
Additional Green Blog Posts:Energy Star Home Improvement Tips ,Insulation and Thermal Performance ,Which Kind Of Insulation Is Best? ,Radiant Barriers for your Attic,Insulating Roofs, Walls, and Floors, Roof and Attic Ventilation
- Example: By adding ___ Inches of Insulation you will save $__ amount on the Energy needed to heat your Home= Lower Heating Bills and Greater Comfort Levels
Email scottscontracting@gmail.com and Scotty will provide a Free Estimate to Fix any of the Above Issues on your Home.
--
Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com
A Roof that: Generates Electricity is a Win-Win for Generating Clean Electricity and Protecting your Home-Scotty
Does your Shingle Roof need Replaced? Consider a Roofing Shingle that also creates Electricity. The new DOW POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle Received UL Certification as a Roofing Material that creates Clean Green Energy via the Integrated Solar Photovoltaic Electricity Producing System.
The DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ solar shingle has chosen thin-film CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium deSelenide) as the PV material in the Solar Shingle to convert the Suns Rays into use-able Electricity for your Home and Business.
DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ solar shingle will become available to the US public mid 2011. Till then Scotts Contracting will be researching the Electrical Out-Put, Efficiency, and Other variables that are needed to determine if the Solar Shingle is a cost-effective option for your Integrated Roofing and Solar Photovoltaic Project.
Prior Articles Here:
Oct 19, 2010-$1 billion investment Dow Chemical announced last February it is making to build a manufacturing plant in Michigan for its shingle-integrated solar PV technology.
DOW POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingles Receive UL Certification
© Business Wire 2010
2010-11-02 13:12:32 -
Today, The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) announced that the DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle is the first residential solar roofing shingle with an integrated connection system to receive Underwriters Laboratories (UL) safety certification.
The DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle is a ground-breaking photovoltaic solar panel in the form of a solar roofing shingle that can be integrated into rooftops with standard asphalt shingle materials. It reduces installation time and complexity using a revolutionary system design that eliminates on-roof wiring, minimizes through-roof penetrations, and allows the product to be installed in the same manner as a standard roofing shingle.
"The receipt of UL safety certification represents the successful completion of a rigorous and comprehensive multi-test process for the DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingles," said Dow Solar Vice President, Jane Palmieri.
"This is another important milestone towards the planned 2011 commercialization of Dow's solar shingles, and represents aWe are dedicated to making solar easy for homeowners, builders, and roofing contractors who already trust the performance and safety of building products bearing the Dow brand."
crucial third-party validation of the safety of this product.
Given the new and unique nature of the DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle, Dow Solar worked closely with UL - a trusted global resource for product safety certification and compliance solutions - to indentify a series of rigorous tests to assess the safety of the unique design and of all the elements of the combined solar and roofing product. The final listing awarded to the DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingles represents compliance to a diverse sequence of UL's safety and building standards, specifically, UL 746, 1703, 1897, 790, 486 and 514. Over 50 individual tests were conducted to assess the safety of the DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingles against building code standards, including wind and fire resistance, and electrical code requirements, such as proper wiring and photovoltaic (PV) connections.
"UL has been leading the development of PV equipment testing methodologies and standards since the 1980s, and has contributed to the safe operation of PV equipment by providing safety testing and certification services for PV equipment manufacturers worldwide," said Jeff Smidt, Vice President and General Manager for UL's Global Energy business. "In the case of Dow's solar shingles, we had to take a unique approach in order to test the product as both a roofing shingle and a PV system. We are proud to provide the UL mark to this first-of-its-kind solar shingle from Dow."
In addition to the vitally important design and material safety tests performed by UL, Dow will continue with its own reliability and durability testing in support of commercialization. Dow is currently performing tests on installed systems of DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingles in addition to individual shingles in order to assess the durability of the product, utilizing Design for Reliability and Physics of Failure methodologies to measure performance against weather, extreme temperatures and more.
Dow has chosen thin-film CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium deSelenide) as the PV material in the DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ solar shingle, and Global Solar Energy (Tucson, AZ) was selected as the preferred supplier in support of the product launch. CIGS technology offers the best balance of low cost and highest sunlight conversion efficiency of the commercialized thin film technologies available today, and the flexible foil substrate of the Global Solar Energy CIGS cells provides the necessary level of flexural durability to allow the DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle to perform reliably in a demanding application environment.
Breaking the traditional barriers to residential solar adoption – complexity, affordability and aesthetics – this technology offers the missing link needed by the energy industry to drive solar adoption across the U.S., and will bring the possibility of safe and reliable solar power to American households. The DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle is expected to be commercially available in select U.S. markets by mid 2011.
About DOW™ POWERHOUSE™
In 2007, Dow received a $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of its Solar America Initiative to develop "building integrated" solar arrays for the residential and commercial markets. In October 2009, Dow Solar unveiled the DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle as the first in a portfolio of building related solar energy generating products.
Since its introduction, the Solar Shingle has been hailed as revolutionary, including being named one of the "50 Best Inventions of 2009" by TIME magazine.
The innovative product design provides an unprecedented integrated roof appearance and simplified installation. It combines a roofing shingle with a solar cell, enabling the DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle to be installed by a roofer along with standard asphalt roofing materials.
This makes the DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle an easy choice for homeowners looking for a residential solar solution that is easy to install and aesthetically pleasing. Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) products from Dow Solar are evidence that Dow is focused on developing energy alternatives and expanding Dow's commitment to use chemistry to solve the world's energy challenges. More information about Dow Solar can be found at www.dowsolar.com :.
About Dow
Dow combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress.
The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2009, Dow had annual sales of $45 billion and employed approximately 52,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 214 sites in 37 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com :
®TM Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow
For editorial information:Greg BaldwinThe Dow
Chemical Company+1 989 638-0745 gbaldwin@dow.com : mailto:gbaldwin@dow.com orChris
GramsGolinHarris+1 312 729-4364 cgrams@golinharris.com : mailto:cgrams@golinharris.com orKate
NigroDow Solar+1 989 638 9629 knigro@dow.com : mailto:knigro@dow.com
Contents:Effect of Radiant Barrier on Heating and Cooling Bills Important Non-Energy Considerations Installation Procedures Appendix Key to Abbreviations Information Services About This Fact Sheet | IntroductionRadiant barriers are materials that are installed in buildings to reduce summer heat gain and winter heat loss, and hence to reduce building heating and cooling energy usage. The potential benefit of attic radiant barriers is primarily in reducing air-conditioning cooling loads in warm or hot climates. Radiant barriers usually consist of a thin sheet or coating of a highly reflective material, usually aluminum, applied to one or both sides of a number of substrate materials. These substrates include kraft paper, plastic films, cardboard, plywood sheathing, and air infiltration barrier material. Some products are fiber reinforced to increase the durability and ease of handling. Radiant barriers can be used in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. However, this fact sheet was developed only for applications of radiant barriers in ventilated attics of residential buildings. For information on other applications, see the references at the end of the Fact Sheet. How are radiant barriers installed in a residential attic? Radiant barriers may be installed in attics in several configurations. The simplest is to lay the radiant barrier directly on top of existing attic insulation, with the reflective side up. This is often called the attic floor application. Another way to install a radiant barrier is to attach it near the roof. The roof application has several variations. One variation is to attach the radiant barrier to the bottom surfaces of the attic truss chords or rafter framing. Another is to drape the radiant barrier over the tops of the rafters before the roof deck is applied. Still another variation is to attach the radiant barrier directly to the underside of the roof deck. How do radiant barriers work? Radiant barriers work by reducing heat transfer by thermal radiation across the air space between the roof deck and the attic floor, where conventional insulation is usually placed. All materials give off, or emit, energy by thermal radiation as a result of their temperature. The amount of energy emitted depends on the surface temperature and a property called the "emissivity" (also called the "emittance"). The emissivity is a number between zero (0) and one (1). The higher the emissivity, the greater the emitted radiation. A closely related material property is the "reflectivity" (also called the "reflectance"). This is a measure of how much radiant heat is reflected by a material. The reflectivity is also a number between 0 and 1 (sometimes, it is given as a percentage, and then it is between 0 and 100%). For a material that is opaque (that is, it does not allow radiation to pass directly through it), when the emissivity and reflectivity are added together, the sum is one (1). Hence, a material with a high reflectivity has a low emissivity, and vice versa. Radiant barrier materials must have high reflectivity (usually 0.9, or 90%, or more) and low emissivity (usually 0.1 or less), and must face an open air space to perform properly. On a sunny summer day, solar energy is absorbed by the roof, heating the roof sheathing and causing the underside of the sheathing and the roof framing to radiate heat downward toward the attic floor. When a radiant barrier is placed on the attic floor, much of the heat radiated from the hot roof is reflected back toward the roof. This makes the top surface of the insulation cooler than it would have been without a radiant barrier and thus reduces the amount of heat that moves through the insulation into the rooms below the ceiling. Under the same conditions, a roof mounted radiant barrier works by reducing the amount of radiation incident on the insulation. Since the amount of radiation striking the top of the insulation is less than it would have been without a radiant barrier, the insulation surface temperature is lower and the heat flow through the insulation is reduced. Radiant barriers can also reduce indoor heat losses through the ceiling in the winter. Radiant barriers reduce the amount of energy radiated from the top surface of the insulation, but can also reduce beneficial heat gains due to solar heating of the roof. The net benefits of radiant barriers for reducing winter heat losses are still being studied. How does a radiant barrier differ from conventional attic insulation? Radiant barriers perform a function that is similar to that of conventional insulation, in that they reduce the amount of heat that is transferred from the attic into the house. They differ in the way they reduce the heat flow. A radiant barrier reduces the amount of heat radiated across an air space that is adjacent to the radiant barrier. The primary function of conventional insulation is to trap still air within the insulation, and hence reduce heat transfer by air movement (convection). The insulation fibers or particles also partially block radiation heat transfer through the space occupied by the insulation. Conventional insulations are usually rated by their R-value. Since the performance of radiant barriers depends on many variables, simple R-value ratings have not been developed for them. What are the characteristics of a radiant barrier? All radiant barriers have at least one reflective (or low emissivity) surface, usually a sheet or coating of aluminum. Some radiant barriers have a reflective surface on both sides. Both types work about equally well, but if a one-sided radiant barrier is used, the reflective surface must face the open air space. For example, if a one-sided radiant barrier is laid on top of the insulation with the reflective side facing down and touching the insulation, the radiant barrier will lose most of its effectiveness in reducing heating and cooling loads. Emissivity is the property that determines how well a radiant barrier will perform. This property is a number between 0 and 1, with lower numbers indicating better potential for performance. The emissivity of typical, clean, unperforated radiant barriers is about 0.03 to 0.05. Hence they will have a reflectivity of 95 to 97 percent. Some materials may have higher emissivities. It is not always possible to judge the emissivity just by visual appearance. Measured emissivity values should be part of the information provided by the manufacturer. A radiant barrier used in the attic floor application must allow water vapor to pass through it. This is necessary because, during the winter, if there is no effective vapor retarder at the ceiling, water vapor from the living space may condense and even freeze on the underside of a radiant barrier lying on the attic floor. In extremely cold climates or during prolonged periods of cold weather, a layer of condensed water could build up. In more moderate climates, the condensed water could evaporate and pass through the radiant barrier into the attic space. While most uniform aluminum coatings do not allow water vapor to pass through them, many radiant barrier materials do allow passage of water vapor. Some allow water vapor passage through holes or perforations, while others have substrates that naturally allow water vapor passage without requiring holes. However, excessively large holes will increase the emissivity and cause a reduction in the radiant barrier performance. The ability to allow water vapor to pass through radiant barrier materials is not needed for the roof applications. What should a radiant barrier installation cost? Costs for an attic radiant barrier will depend on several factors, including the following:
What should conventional insulation cost? Heating and cooling bills can also be reduced by adding conventional attic insulation. So that you can have some basis for comparison shopping, typical installed costs for adding various levels of insulation are given in Table 2. These costs are typical for insulation installed by contractors. Actual insulation costs will vary from region to region of the country, will vary with the type of insulation selected (blown, or loose-fill, insulation is usually lower in price than "batt" insulation), and may vary from one local contractor to another. You can expect to deduct 20% to 50% for a do-it-yourself application. You should always check with your local or state energy office or building code department for current insulation recommendations or see the DOE INSULATION FACT SHEET. |
TO MEET CODE, A RADIANT BARRIER MUST BE RATED EITHER CLASS A BY THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION (NFPA) OR CLASS I BY THE UNIFORM BUILDING CODE (UBC).To obtain these ratings, a material must have an ASTM E-84 Flame Spread Index of 25 or less and a Smoke Developed Index of 450 or less. Look for these ratings either printed on the product, or listed on material data sheets provided by the manufacturer.
In Locations 3 and 4, the radiant barrier is attached to either the faces or bottoms of the rafters or top chords of the roof trusses. Locations 3 and 4 may be used with either new construction, or with retrofit of an existing house. With either Location 2, 3 or 4, the space between the roof sheathing and the radiant barrier provides a channel through which warm air can move freely, as shown in Figure 2. 
In Location 5, the radiant barrier is laid out on the attic floor over the top of existing attic insulation. As discussed previously, this location is susceptible to the effects of dust accumulation. This location is not appropriate when a large part of the attic is used for storage, since the radiant barrier surface must be exposed to the attic space. Also, kitchen and bathroom vents and recessed lights should not be covered with the radiant barrier.| Type of Insulation | R-11 | R-19 | R-30 | R-38 |
| Fiberglass batts Loose-fill fiberglass Loose-fill cellulose | 3.5" 4.75" 3.75" | 6.25" 8.25" 6.50" | 9.75" 12.75" 10.50" | 12.5" 16" 13" |
| Radiant Barrier Description | Configuration Factor |
| For low range of values for dusty attic floor RB | 0.16 |
| For high range of values for dusty attic floor RB | 0.65 |
| For RB attached to rafter bottoms, and with no ducts in attic | 0.78 |
| For RB attached to rafter bottoms, and with ducts in attic, | |
| - and with R-11 conventional attic insulation | 0.98 |
| - or with R-19 conventional attic insulation | 1.07 |
| - or with R-30 conventional attic insulation | 1.15 |
| - or with R-38 conventional attic insulation | 1.22 |
| For RB draped over tops of rafters or attached to roof deck, | |
| - and with no ducts in attic | 0.68 |
| For RB draped over tops of rafters or attached to roof deck, and with ducts in attic, | |
| - and with R-11 conventional attic insulation | 0.86 |
| - or with R-19 conventional attic insulation | 0.93 |
| - or with R-30 conventional attic insulation | 1.01 |
| - or with R-38 conventional attic insulation | 1.07 |
| RAdiant Barrier Description | Configuration Factor |
| For low range of values for dusty attic floor RB | 0.24 |
| For high range of values for dusty attic floor RB | 0.61 |
| For RB attached to rafter bottoms | 0.88 |
| For RB draped over tops of rafters or attached to roof deck | 0.82 |
| Code: (A) | (B) | (C) | (D) | (E) | (F) |
| Cooling Equipment Efficiency (From Table X) | Heating Equipment Efficiency (From Table X) | Cooling Fuel Price $/Million BTU | Heating Fuel Price $/Million BTU | Cooling Energy Cost $/Million BTU [C÷A] | Heating Energy Cost $/Million BTU [D÷B] |
| 2.6 | 1.9 | 8x2.93= 23.44 | 8x2.93= 23.44 | 9.02 | 12.34 |
Electricity: $/million BTU = ¢/KWH x 2.93
Natural Gas: $/million BTU = ($/therm or $/CCF) x 10
Fuel Oil: $/million BTU = $/gal. x 7.15
| Code: (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) |
| Ceiling Area, Square Feet | Cooling Load Factor (From Table Y) | Heating Load Factor (From Table Y) | Annual Cooling Savings, $/yr [(1) x (2) x E] ÷ 1,000,000 | Annual Heating Savings, $/yr [(1) x (3) x F]÷ 1,000,000 | Total Energy Savings, $/yr [(4)+(5)] | Cost for RB or Insulation, $ |
| 1800 | 2575x0.98= 2524 | 275x0.88= 242 | 40.98 | 5.38 | 46.36 | 400 |
| Code: (8) | (9) | (10) | (11) | (12) | ||
| Cooling Discount Factor (From Table Z) | Heating Discount Factor (From Table Z) | Present Value Cooling Savings, $ [(4) x (8)] | Present Value Heating Savings, $ [(5) x (9)] | Total Present Value Energy Savings, $ [(10) + (11)] | ||
| 11.50 | 11.50 | 471.27 | 61.87 | 533.14 |
