Radiant Barrier Calculator

Attic heat reduction from radiant barrier installation.

Attic area

sq ft

Climate zone

Existing attic insulation R-value

Annual cooling cost

Installation method

Tab to move between fields

Peak attic temp reduction

30 °F

Annual savings

$97.00

≈ 6 movie tickets

Cooling cost savings8.1%

Equivalent R-value boost9.1

Material cost$330.00

Professional install cost$1,455.00

DIY payback period3.4 years

Payback Pro14.97

How to Use This Calculator

Enter Attic area, Climate zone, and Cold (Zone 5-7, northern US).
Set Mixed (Zone 4, mid-Atlantic), Warm (Zone 3, Southeast), and Hot-dry (Zone 2, Southwest).
Adjust Hot-humid (Zone 1-2, Gulf Coast), Existing attic insulation R-value as needed.
Review Peak attic temp reduction (°F) and Annual savings ($).
Use Cooling cost savings (%) and Equivalent R-value boost to inform your decision.

What each input means

Attic area: Total attic floor area where radiant barrier will be installed.
Climate zone: Your IECC climate zone. Radiant barriers are most effective in hot climates.
Existing attic insulation R-value: Current insulation R-value. Barrier is more effective with less existing insulation.
Annual cooling cost: Yearly air conditioning energy cost.
Installation method: Rafter-stapled is most effective. Floor-laid loses effectiveness from dust.

Peak attic temp reduction: Estimated reduction in peak summer attic temperature.
Cooling cost savings: Percentage reduction in annual cooling costs.
Annual savings: Estimated yearly cooling cost savings.
Equivalent R-value boost: Approximate equivalent R-value improvement for summer cooling.
Material cost: Cost of radiant barrier foil material.
Professional install cost: Total cost with professional installation.
DIY payback period: Years to recoup material-only cost from cooling savings.

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Attic area = 1500, Climate zone = 3, Existing attic insulation R-value = 19, Annual cooling cost = 1200 = 5 input(s) provided
Calculate Peak attic temp reduction
30 = 30
Calculate Annual savings
Annual savings = annualCoolingCost * baseSavingsPct
97 = $97
Calculate Cooling cost savings
8.1 = 8.1%
Calculate Equivalent R-value boost
Equivalent R-value boost = 5 + (baseSavingsPct / 0.12) * 6
9.1 = 9.1