How rFoil reflective insulation can reduce utility costs in hot weather climates.

On March 28, 2001, Californians were greeted with the news of electrity rate increases, and that some customers will pay up to 46% more for their energy.

In an effort to keep up with the electricity shortage, the California Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved a $.03 per kilowatt hour increase.

(You can read more about it here at the LA Times).

On March 29, 2001, Reuters reported that New York City is facing their own energy crisis.

(You can read about that story here).

So we created this page to tell you how rFoil reflective insulation can help California consumers lower their energy consumption and reduce their utility bill.

Here's how:

Up to 90% of summer heat entering your house is radiant heat; the rest is conductive and convective. As this heat radiates into your house, mostly through the roof, it fills up the attic space, and the insulation that is already in place. This insulation is usually fiberglass or cellulose. Chances are, it's been in the attic for many years, which means it has also disintegrated and settled over time. What may have been 6 inches of insulation 10 years ago is probably only 2 or 3. But that's not the biggest problem. The biggest problem is that regular mass insulation does not offer good protection against radiant heat. Of that 90% radiant heat getting into your house, fiberglass and cellulose can only block 10% of it. That means the rest of this heat is getting into your house. So what do you do when your house gets hot? You turn on the air conditioner, of course. And you end up paying for that extra heat through increased air conditioner usage.

But what happens when EVERYONE turns on their air conditioner?

There will more electricity used per household, which means less to go around, which can lead to be more brownouts and rolling blackouts.

If you thought this past winter was bad with the rolling blackouts, wait until it gets hot and everyone hits their AC switch.

So what can you do? If you're already visiting this site, you know the answer to that question: reflective insulation. People are using reflective insulation and radiant barrier for this very purpose already. To beat the summer heat and reduce your AC costs, you will actually use our No-Tear Radiant Barrier, instead of rFoil. No-Tear is a "no bubble" radiant barrier. Like our regular rFoil, it reflects up to 97% of radiant heat -- remember, that's 90% of the summer heat -- which reduces the amount of heat that gets into your house. Which reduces the amount of heat you need to cool off with your air conditioner. And that means 1) less energy usage. 2) increased comfort, 3) cooler temperatures at a warmer setting, and best of all 4) lower utility bills.

So why use No-Tear instead of regular rFoil?

No-Tear radiant barrier is perforated to allow moisture to escape, but still block the heat, while regular rFoil (and any other bubble insulation) actually works as a vapor barrier. If you were to lay this down on your attic floor, it could actually cause serious moisture damage later.

How do I install No-Tear radiant barrier?

It's easy. All you need are a pair of scissors or utility knife, and a staple gun. Lay the No-Tear over the existing fiberglass, and staple it to the joists (be careful to step only on the ceiling joists). Overlap the seams by 1", and continue to staple it to all the joists. That's it!

Do NOT lay anything on top of the No-Tear, like other insulation, and don't let it come in contact with any electrical boxes or exposed wiring.

Installation instructions are also available on our website.

How much No-Tear radiant barrier do I need?

Multiply the length of your attic by the width. That's the number of square feet you will need.

Would you rather put No-Tear on your roofline? Divide the total square feet by .85 (that's point-85). That will account for the slope in the roof.

Then click on the "Get rFoil quote" button, fill out the form, and we will send you a quote in the next 2 - 4 days.

Or if you have any questions, you can also call us at (574) 457-3066.