Are radiant heat barriers eligible for an energy loan?
The Federal Trade Commission’s R-value rule on radiant heat barriers states that manufacturers must use the R-values published in the ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals. Those R-values are only applicable when the radiant barrier is used in conjunction with a sealed air space. If the space a radiant barrier is placed in is not sealed, the air in that space will develop convective currents that negate the radiant effect. When ASHRAE defines a sealed air space, they are referring to a space comparable to the space between two panes of glass in a window, sealed air tight, and not home construction, which would not achieve this type of sealing. Radiant barriers are not eligible for the loan program for a number of reasons: • In any given thickness of air space, a person can achieve a higher R-value by filling that space with insulation. • For a radiant barrier to be effective, the air space where it is used must be very tightly sealed, and that is not typical of home or building construction.
