How Do You Calculate Household Heat Loss?
Heat loss from a home can occur in any of several ways, but calculations are typically modeled around heat loss through conduction, the heat that seeps out through walls, ceilings and floors. Once the heat loss is calculated, the difference between current insulation and an additional layer can be estimated, as can the effect of lowering thermostats to save energy. Measure the length and height of each of the home’s exterior walls and record the measurements. For instance, assume that all exterior walls are 40 feet long and 8 feet tall. The area of a single wall would be 40 feet times 8 feet, or 320 square feet. The total for all 4 exterior walls, then, would be 1,280 square feet. Measure both the outside and inside air temperature. Assume these readings are 32 degrees F outdoors and 74 degrees F indoors. Take the difference between the two, 42 degrees F, and multiply that by the total square footage of all walls: 42 times 1,280 gives a product of 53,760. Divided the product from Step
