Go Green - Energy Efficiency in Your Home

Radiant barrier foil insulation, such as Enerflex, is a reflective metalized film insulation that provides a way to reduce high HVAC energy costs. Radiant barrier insulation blocks radiant heat energy instead of absorbing it like typical insulation. A high quality radiant barrier is not affected by humidity and will continue to perform at a consistent level for many years.

Radiant barriers work by reducing heat transfer of thermal radiation across the air space between the roof deck (attic ceiling) and the attic floor, where conventional insulation is normally placed. In other words radiant barriers assist in blocking or reflecting heat transfer. All materials give off energy by thermal radiation as a result of air temperature. The amount of energy emitted depends on the surface temperature and by emissivity. Emissivity is the amount of heat which is emitted / radiated off of a surface to surrounding air.

A radiant barrier installed in the attic works by reducing the amount of radiant heat on various components in the attic. These are typically thermal attic insulation, duct work, HVAC equipment, and other building components. Since the amount of radiant heat contacting 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. An Energy Star radiant barrier, such as Enerflex, significantly reduces the amount of energy radiated from the top surface of the insulation.

Request a sample of Enerflex Radiant Barrier.

See how Enerflex can help curb your air conditioning costs in this blog post.