Radiant Barrier | Energy Efficiency

What is green?

Both builders and homeowners are struggling with that question these days – especially with the price of fuel oil at an all-time high and the cost of heating and cooling homes at the top of everyone’s mind.

For the average homeowner hears all about reducing his “environment footprint” – recycling; minimizing the amount of trash; seeking out Energy Star® appliances; turning off lights and other electronic equipment off when not in use; replacing a/c filters regularly; adding insulation to the attic; and using a radiant barrier under the roof to reflect radiant heat back outside.

At Fi-Foil, our products are designed to be energy-efficient, so we started out thinking in terms of energy conservation, life-cycle performance, and minimal landfill impact more than 20 years ago. Our radiant barrier and reflective insulation products are Energy Star® compliant and meet or exceed various performance and code criteria established by national, regional and local governing bodies.

The Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) was developed and is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, a national non-profit organization formed in 1993 to promote environment responsibility within the building construction industry. Fi-Foil’s radiant barrier and reflective insulation products can contribute LEED credits for “Energy, Materials & Resources” to residential building projects – confirming our commitment to you, the industry, and our world.

The LEED criteria for certification continues to evolve as ongoing testing and evaluations produce new and more consistent results. Environmental responsibility will remain a major issue in the construction industry well into the foreseeable future. Products within the LEED framework that can produce a measurable positive impact on the environment along with cost justification, such as the Fi-Foil Company’s line of radiant barrier and reflective insulation products, will continue to grow in popularity as more and more of their benefits are realized.

We know how hot is on a summer afternoon by the pool. Imagine how it feels to someone working in an attic!

But experts say that something known as a radiant barrier may cool things off in the attic while saving homeowners lots of money.

How does a radiant barrier work?

A radiant barrier is based on a concept called emissivity or basically, how much a material can repel radiant energy. The lower the number the better and according to the Florida Energy Center a radiant barrier should measure less than 0.06.

They say that the radiant barrier can help cut air conditioning costs by as much as 20%.

But does a radiant barrier work? Experts say yes.

They say it works on the same principle as a lunar module lined with foil or that shiny reflective shield you put in your parked car windshield.

Experts say it is a home insulating idea that’s been around for decades.

In fact, the Department of Energy recommends radiant barriers in residential attics. And the Florida Solar Energy Center says that radiant barriers offer significant potential for impeding solar driven heat gains in buildings.

All of those recommendations are for actual rolls of reflective material that is attached in a retrofit to an existing attic or on building materials in new construction. Just like the radiant barrier products offered by Fi-Foil Company, the leader and innovator in energy-efficient reflective insulation and radiant barriers for residential, commercial, and agricultural buildings.