Keeping Thermal Heat Gain From Getting the Upper Hand in Your St. Lucie County Home

Any steps you take to reduce thermal heat gain in your home will help you reduce the amount of energy your air conditioner requires to keep your home comfortable. Most homeowners are familiar with the role insulation plays in keeping heat from making it into their home, but there are other strategies that can help reduce thermal heat gain in your home.

Shading

How much heat energy your home’s exterior absorbs from the sun has a big impact on thermal heat gain. Hotter exterior building materials will radiate more heat toward your home’s interior. A great way to reduce heat gain from sunlight is by providing shade. Natural landscaping can improve your home’s appearance and has the potential to shade a large portion of your home.

Windows can be especially important to shade because any sunlight that shines through will add heat directly to the interior of your home. Using light-colored interior blinds and drapes can help, but exterior shading options such as awnings, shutters and solar screens are more effective.

Reflecting

You likely won’t be able to completely shade your home, especially your roof, so for these areas you may want to apply a reflective coating. These will make it so the roof reflects a larger portion of sunlight instead of absorbing it.

Another reflective option is a radiant barrier installed on the underside of your roof. This paper-backed foil will reflect a portion of any heat that is radiated from the roof, keeping the attic cooler.

Reducing internal heat sources

Some heat is generated right inside your home from the lighting and appliances. You’ll want to make sure lights and appliances are turned off when not in use and avoid using the stove on hot days if possible. The microwave and an outdoor grill can provide viable alternatives. Upgrading any incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescents or LEDs will significantly cut down on the amount of heat they generate relative to the amount of light.

For more help saving money on your energy bills by reducing thermal heat gain, please contact us at NisAir Air Conditioning and Heating. We provide quality services in Martin, Palm Beach and Indian River counties.