FAQ's 

 Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Energy Efficiency 

1. What are some advantages and disadvantages of various home energy sources?

2. What is the best residential HVAC guide?

3. How do I handle my outside basement wall insulation?  

4. What is the highest rated HVAC unit?

5. What is the best radiant barrier roof insulation?

6. Can you tell me about some energy saving devices for air conditioning?

7. What do you know about noise control and sound insulation products?

8. What do I need to know about designing an HVAC duct system for my home?

9. What can you tell me about fireplaces and saving energy?

10. What are the benefits and risks of geothermal energy?

Other Frequently Asked Questions Include

11. How do I insulate a building that is a pole barn covered with sheet metal or a sheet metal storage building?

12. What are the benefits of foam insulation?

13. What kind of caulk do I use to seal the cracks and crevices around me home? 

14. What is your opinion on using solar shield on our roof, is it worth the price difference?  

15. What is the best energy efficient lighting to use?  

16. What is the most energy efficient shingle?

17. Which ACCA Manual J load calculation program do you use?

18. Can you give me more info on the vinyl triple glaze windows that you recommend?

19. We are planning to build a home in Mountain View, AR in the near future, just under  2000 sq ft not including the partial basement - is there a minimal size before considering a geothermal system?

20. Who in that area would I contact about installing geothermal?

21. Do you have any comments/literature about radiant floor heating?

22. Who do you recommend in Maumelle ( Little Rock ) for blower door testing, duct work, insulation and heating & air units on an existing home?

23. We will be building a 1100 square foot cabin on a river, which unit would be the best fit. Do you have some web sites were we can investigate geothermal?

24. My windows sweat so badly that I have to put towels underneath them to keep water off the sills.  Does this mean I need new windows or is this a humidity problem?  I have a crawl space foundation.

25. i intend to build new house this year just outside of albuquerque new mexico at about 6800ft. evlevation. i am having no success in finding someone that can or will do geothermal heat pump system for my
    new home.

26. We are at present looking into windmill and solar use.  Our projected homes are both in the country on property with many springs for water use.  Do you send out information on the geothermal system with cost and installment ? 

27. do have a good well that is 460 ft deep and the water level is about 20 ft from the surface, so there should be more water than we will need to service the house. Could this water be used for an open system and discharge the water into my storm drain that will go into the lake? If so, the system should cost me a lot less to install.

28. Is there a formula for how large the trunk line for a unit should be per ton of AC?

29. I have a call into your dad and maybe you could help.  www.unicosystems.com identifies a new duct supply system that I'm looking at to use with geothermal.  Do you think your dad would approve this?  It seems to be really great and energy efficient and would work well on my 1 1/2 house plan similar to his recommendation on Metal duct between the floors. 

30. I am trying to choose betwen building an inexpensive "stick" house and a metal building as a house to live in. Since I trust you I want your opinion on which one to build.
    If and when I have the money I would brick up the home I / we choose but not right away. My focus will be on the niceness of the inside with only the bare minimum for the outside at first. Both homes would be 1800 sq. ft. Both would be all electric. If financially feaseable, both would have geothermal. Both would be 3 bedroom 2 full bath with attached 2 car garage. I am considering not building the garage until later to lower the amount financed.
    Can a metal building be built like the houses you talk about on the radio?

31. I have a question dealing with Insulation in a garage. I have built a new garage and consider putting insulation in the walls before panel or wallboard is installed. Is it advisable to put insulation (Cellulose, foam, etc) in the walls, what will be the best method. The floor is concrete. Any advise will be appreciated. Also should there be a moisture barrier between insulation and the inside of the garage.

32. Does it cover BioBased Soybean Foam insulation? If not, what is your opinions on it compared to cellulose?

33. Whole house is drafty. You can tell the direction of the wind from inside the house.    Wind on the garage side of the house blows my kitchen door open.I had a blower door test done and all my oulets leaked even some not on exterior walls. The master bath exhaust fan was leaking and the sill plate where insulation was put with no foam was leaking. Blower door reading was a 3.9.The insulation company (Momper's) came back and foamed all the outlets fixed the sill plate and my builder put back draft dampers on my exhaust fans.
    The house is still draft. Outlets still leak bad, garage door still blows open. It's like my house is sucking in air. 
    If you have any ideas for me or can recommend someone in my area that could helpplease let me know.

34. We are going to use the geo thermal and the cellulose insulation if there is any one
    in the Chattanooga or near that blows it in. Do you know of anyone in this area
    who does that? 

35. A couple of questions about the cellulose. Does it settle over time and leave an un-insulated
    space at the top of the wall and does it hold moisture? We have a lot of rain and high 
    humidity here.

36.  

Doug Rye, Licensed Architect
Phillip Rye, Licensed Civil Engineer
 

1. What are some advantages and disadvantages of various home energy sources?

1) Solar energy:  The initial cost is too high and there is no efficient way of storing the solar energy for sustained usage.
2) Gas or propane:  They are not as efficient as electric energy and you have the possibility of carbon monoxide (CO) problems.  Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, non-irritating gas that is produced from burning fossil fuels. There are an average of 534 deaths annually in the United States from CO.  This does not include the thousands of visits to the emergency room for CO poisoning symptoms.  I saw an article just the other day with the following title, "The Big Sleep: Don’t close your eyes to Carbon Monoxide".  Carbon monoxide is a very serious problem and can put your and your family at risk of CO poisoning.
3) Electric:  Electric energy is more efficient than solar or gas and has no harmful by-products.  The only disadvantage to electric energy is that you have no heat during a winter power outage.  Back to Top

2. What is the best residential HVAC guide? The best residential HVAC guide is the American Refrigeration Institute (ARI) Manual.  All quality systems are rated by the ARI and you should not use any system that is not ARI rated.  Back to Top

3. How do I handle my outside basement wall insulation? I always prefer insulating on the inside of the basement wall.  If you insulate on the outside, you must use some type of rigid board, which can absorb water and is in contact with the elements of nature.  Back to Top

4. What is the highest rated HVAC unit? The highest rated HVAC unit is the geothermal heat pump system.  A geothermal heat pump can save up to 60% over the conventional system.  
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5. What is the best radiant barrier roof insulation?  If there is duct work in the attic, a radiant roof barrier is really preferred.  By lowering your attic temperature by 20°F to 30°F you can really increase the energy efficiency of your HVAC system.  Some people refer to a radiant roof barrier as attic insulation foil-type.  Back to Top

6. Can you tell me about some energy saving devices for air conditioning?  History shows that most devices for air conditioning are a hoax.  The efficiency of the system and well-designed duct work are the key.  Back to Top

7. What do you know about noise control and sound insulation products? One of the best noise control products I know of is cellulose insulation.  I am a licensed architect and I first learned of cellulose as a sound proofing product.  I was consulting on houses next to train tracks and the builder was using cellulose for sound-proofing.  I later learned that cellulose was a superior insulation in addition to a sound control product.  Back to Top

8. What do I need to know about designing an HVAC duct system for my home?  The most important thing you should know is that the size of your HVAC system CANNOT be estimated.  It is imperative that a computer program be used to size the heating and cooling load for each room of the house.  Back to Top

9. What can you tell me about fireplaces and saving energy? Most fireplaces are energy wasters.  Fireplaces can provide a lot of heat, but for the area that it heats and the amount of wood or gas that it uses, it is not very efficient. In a new home constructed as I teach, there is no need for a supplemental heat source.  The only reason to install a fireplace is for aesthetic reasons.     
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10. What are the benefits and risks of geothermal energy? To my knowledge,  there are no risks of using geothermal energy.  Some of the benefits include:  super high efficiency, NO pollution, no outdoor equipment, longer life expectancy (average 22 years), and can save you hundreds of dollars every year.  Back to Top

11. How do I insulate a building that is a pole barn covered with sheet metal or a sheet metal storage building?  You can spray the insulation directly on the steel assuming that you are using damp spray and not loose fill insulation. Of course, it would not stick if it were not damp spray. If you are framing using 2x4 studs, you would insulate just like a conventional home.  You may also spray it on the ceiling. As an example, dip a paper napkin in a glass of water and throw it on a smooth wall. It will stay there for 50 years if left undisturbed. Same concept.  Back to Top

12. What are the benefits of foam insulation?  Foam insulation is definitely a great insulating product.  However, it is not cost effective to date.  There are people that use foam in their homes and are happy with it, but it just isn't worth the extra money when you have a great product like cellulose. Foam insulation does not have the same fireproof, roach-proof, and sound proofing benefits as cellulose.  Back to Top

13. What kind of caulk do I use to seal the cracks and crevices around me home? Silicone caulks is probably the best caulk to use. Good surface preparation is a must. Pre-tinted caulks are available but I usually recommend using clear caulk.  You can use the clear caulk anywhere you want do not have to worry about matching colors.  The clear caulk goes on white but dries clear.  Don't panic when it comes out of the tube white. They have excellent flexibility, superior durability, and will stand up to extreme weather and temperature conditions. Siliconized caulks stay on practically forever and stand up to all kinds of conditions. Back to Top

14. What is your opinion on using solar shield on our roof, is it worth the price difference?  A radiant heat roof barrier is definitely worth the price difference.  It is a great protective building product.  An attic radiant barrier can reduce the attic temperature by 30 degrees in the summer.  I have TechShield radiant barrier sheathing on my home and it makes a tremendous difference.  However, if your ductwork is not located in the attic, and you have adequate attic insulation (12 inches total depth), then it really isn't worth it.  

Once you get the building envelope sealed up, the temperature of the attic isn't important.  It should be noted that radiant heat sheathing is also called solar shield or solar board.  Installing TechShield radiant barrier does not void the warranty on you shingles.  "With its thin, laminated, aluminum layer, TechShield prevents up to 97% of the radiant heat in the panel from radiating into the attic."   Back to Top

15. What is the best energy efficient lighting to use?  The most energy efficient lighting to use is compact fluorescent lights. ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use 66% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing a 100-watt incandescent with a 32-watt CFL can save you at least $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb.  CFL's make great energy efficient lighting retrofits.  Back to Top

Replace all the lights in your home with compact fluorescent lighting and the savings really add up!   Visit your local home improvement store to purchase CFL's.
Back to Top

16. What is the most energy efficient shingle?  If you home is built correctly like I teach or has been updated to be an energy efficient home like I teach, the type of shingle that you use has no effect the energy efficiency of your home.   Back to Top

17. Which ACCA Manual J load calculation program do you use?  I use WrightSoft residential and commercial heating and cooling design program.  This software is capable of geothermal loop design as well as load and duct sizing on a room by room basis.   Back to Top

18. Can you give me more info on the vinyl triple glaze windows that you recommend?  

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