Originally posted by rwh11385
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My insulation is going in as we speak. Using R-13 batt with a reflective heat shield in the walls. Using 1" closed cell foam with R-19 batt and a reflective heat shield between the rafters to yield an R30 in the roof. Exceeding the code required R values yields diminishing returns. The key is making it air tight, keeping the HVAC within the conditioned space and having a properly designed system and ductwork that uses minimal energy consumption.
My system will be a two stage 16 SEER heat pump with electric strip auxiliary heat, energy recovery ventilation, and HEPA + UV filtration. Straight hard pipe for the supply and return with flex duct for the branches. All of the air in the house is recycled through the filter every 15 minutes. This is the best bang for the buck system in my area. We analyzed, natural gas heat, geothermal and radiant heating, along with spray foam insulation in the walls. None of those had a ROI or were more efficient. Heating and cooling costs were estimated to be nearly half of what I was paying. Not bad considering Im dealing with an old house with a fixed orientation. The energy guru I'm using said had I done the same house except built it from the ground up using modern materials and proper air sealing techniques he could have gotten my average heating and cooling bills down to about $25 a month on a 3100 sf house using Code minimum R-value insulation. Instead they will be around $70. I'll take pictures of the heat shield tomorrow. I don't know anyone else who uses it, but it's pretty sweet.
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