Welcome to Green Attic Systems
A Christian Family Owned and Operated Business Providing Home Efficiency Services.
Welcome to the GREEN ATTIC SYSTEMS website. We are a Richardson, TX, based business specializing in improving the efficiency of your home by addressing the key factors that result in unwanted summer heat gain and winter heat loss through your attic.
According to the United States Department of Energy, the leading source of all energy loss, up to 42%, is through the roof of your home as a result of poor attic insulation. Considering that 50% to 70% of all energy costs are a result of heating and cooling, it is necessary for North Texas homeowners to guarantee that their attic is as energy efficient as possible. At GREEN ATTIC SYSTEMS, we provide a variety of services to the North Texas homeowner that result in decreased heat transference and improved energy efficiency. Each of our services can be used as stand alone procedures but are most effective when used as a complete system. Our services include:
The Importance of Attic Efficiency
Unwanted heat transference is a constant problem for the average homeowner in the North Texas Region. In North Texas summer daytime temperatures frequently exceed 100°F with nighttime low temperatures rarely dropping below 80°F. This means that there is a constant build up of heat in the attic of your home. Because heat transfers from hotter objects to cooler objects, the heat that is constantly building up in your attic during summer months is transferring through your ceiling and into your living spaces. The same is true during the winter. Though North Texas winters are generally mild, heat used to maintain a comfortable temperature inside the home transfers to the cooler attic. The result from this unwanted heat transfer is the need to use heating and cooling methods more frequently to maintain the level of comfort inside the living spaces of your home resulting in a more inefficient home. This means you must spend more money just to maintain your desired level of comfort.
In addition to the immediate financial burden, there is a significant long term burden in the form of wear and tear on your heating and cooling systems. Over usage -- particularly in the form of a continuously running air conditioning unit, furnace or blower -- will result in a significantly shorter life of your systems. This means more frequent expenses to replace components of your heathing and cooling systems and to repair costly damage as a result of over usage. Increased attic efficiency can help minimize these premature repair costs.
A study of the impact of radiant barrier usage on cooling efforts performed by the Department of Technology at Appalachian State University demonstrates that the usage of radiant barrier technologies is effective in decreasing the impact on cooling systems while maintaining the desired comfort level (the report is available for download as a .PDF here). This study was specifically undertaken to determine the value of alternative strategies for solving summer cooling complaints. The study concludes that:
- The peak temperature measured at the top of the attic insulation was reduced by approximately 23 degrees F at peak temperature for comparible pre and post dates. This reduction in temperature provided a positive benefit across a nine hour period, though to a lesser and lesser amount as the data is examined further from the peak.
- The run time of the HVAC system was reduced by 14% over the total 24 hour period. During the 7 peak hours the run time was reduced by 20%.
- Heat gain through the R-6 flex duct into the cooling supply air between the attic air conditioning unit and the ceiling supply boot was reduced from 7 degrees F to a heat gain of 3 degrees F.
- Heat gain of 7 degrees F equaled a capacity loss of 33.8%. Heat gain of 3 degrees F equaled a capacity loss of 14.4%. Thus the radiant barrier improved the efficiency of the cooling air delivered through this duct during the peak attic temperatures by 57%.
The easiest way to improve attic efficiency for most North Texas homeowners is to add insulation to the attic. Often the insulation is inadequate either as a result of age and settling or because an inadequate amount of insulation was installed in the home originally. Insulation is necessary to prevent heat transference between the non-living spaces and living spaces of your home. Your home needs to have the appropriate heat resistence rating (R-value) and the appropriate depth of insulation in order to effectively prevent unwanted heat transference reducing the energy efficiency of your home.
Another critical area of concern in attic efficiency is proper attic ventilation. Attic ventilation helps maintain even temperatures, control moisture, and reduce the build up of contaminants in the attic. The combined systems of attic ventilation, insulation and radiant barrier has been demonstrated to provide up to 30% savings in energy costs. These savings are in addition to the savings accrued through decreasing the impact on your heating and cooling systems as a result of improved attic efficiency and home energy efficiency.
