Despite our best efforts to use energy wisely and maintain a stable temperature, without proper functioning insulation our home’s ability to regulate the inside environment is compromised.
This results in sweltering temperatures in summer, and freezing conditions in winter.
Your home’s ability to maintain temperature can be measured, and that measurement is known as its ‘R-Value’ or sometimes ‘R-Rating’.
What is insulation?
To understand R-Value, you first need to understand what insulation is and how it works. Insulation is the material that blocks airflow from escaping or entering your home. It is effective at blocking hot air from entering during the summer, and escaping during the winter, so it is an important part of your home’s heating and cooling systems no matter the weather.
There are different types of insulation that can work best in different climate types, and an insulation expert can help you understand your needs and your options for insulation, helping combat any other heating or cooling problems in your home that an expert may identify.
What is an R-Value?
Insulation R-Value specifically measures how well your home’s insulation resists conductive heat flow. There are a few main factors that contribute to the overall R-Rating, including:
- The insulation material
- Your home’s location and average temperature
- The lifespan of your insulation material and how old it is
- The moisture level in your home
- Quality of installation
R-Value can be an important factor in determining your insulation decisions because a high insulation R-Value will not only keep your home warmer in winter or cooler in summer, but it will also save you money on your electricity bills because your home won’t have to rely on air conditioning or other systems.
Why is my home’s R-Value important?
Without proper insulation, your home can lose a significant amount of warmth in winter, and gain heat in summer, which ultimately costs you money. Your heating and cooling systems need to work harder to combat escaping air and maintain the temperature. You can reduce your electricity bill significantly just by paying attention to your insulation, and your home’s R-Value.
Savings don’t just come in the form of decreased energy bills when you insulate your home with R-Value in mind. You will also find that you need to repair your heating and cooling systems less frequently since they won’t need to work as hard to heat and cool your home.
What can I do to increase the R-Value of my existing home?
Increasing the R-Value of your home is still possible in your existing home with a few small renovations. The most effective way to do this is by installing thicker and better-quality insulation, or topping up your existing insulation. This creates more substantial barriers and prevents heat from escaping, but there is one notable exception to this rule.
This is where quality installation becomes an important factor. If your installer understands where insulation is best placed within your home and can utilise techniques such as the principle of “thermal bridging” where insulation is placed near joists, studs, and other heat-conducting building materials, then your home’s R-Value will increase.
Using Passive Design To Further Improve Energy Efficiency
When your home is specifically designed for the climate you live in, there should be little need for electric heating and cooling units. This type of home design is called ‘Passive Design’, and it can save you thousands on your electricity bill.
Using natural heating sources, orientation, thermal mass, and importantly, insulation, you can take advantage of the natural climate of your area and minimise heat loss or gain. Passive Design is best applied to new builds, but if you have an existing home, renovations can go a long way towards creating a passive design in your home.
In Australia, there are eight different climate zones, and passive design is going to look different depending on which of them you live in. Passive design is a hugely expansive idea and deserves an article all of its own, but we will go through the two most relevant concepts here; passive heating and passive cooling.
Passive heating
Passive heating is used often in cooler climates and works to allow winter sun into your home while keeping existing heat inside. If you live somewhere that’s very cold in winter but also can get quite warm in summer, then it’s important to balance passive heating design with passive cooling design to maximise benefits in both potential climates.
Passive cooling
Passive cooling encourages airflow and evaporative cooling to keep your home cool in warmer seasons and climates.
For both of these strategies, insulation is a key factor in ensuring passive design. Ensuring you use the correct insulation type for your climate and passive design goals will be critical, as will ensuring placement is correct.
Another type of insulation that is important to facilitate passive design is window glazing. Windows and doors bring in or let out significant airflow, and will need to be treated to ensure they are working with your passive design goals, and not against them. Different types of glazing will work for different climates and home orientations.
Conclusion
A home that utilises both smart insulation and passive design strategies is going to regulate temperature far more effectively, allowing its R-Value to soar. With the help of experts, you can ensure that your home is built to work with your local climate rather than against it.
If you are looking to improve your home’s R-Value by replacing or installing insulation, get in touch with our team today! We are your local experts and can ensure that you have the right insulation for your climate, helping you save on heating and cooling.
