16 years later...

JRMichler · 07-26-15, 03:35 PM

I built a new house about 3 years ago. The insulation sweet spot resulted in a heat loss of 13,000 BTUH for a 1300 SF house at -20 F outside and 70 F inside. The next level of insulation would have cut the gas bill by $50 per year at a cost of $12,000. There was no real in-between amount of insulation, and the job was already over budget. No savings in the heating system, either.

I really wanted the U-0.20 or better windows, but the extra cost was prohibitive. I did get a house that cools down at 1 deg F per hour when it's 0 deg F outside. That, along with the woodstove, means that a furnace failure is merely an inconvenience.

And, yes, I'm a mechanical engineer. If money was no object, I would have put in the better windows and extra insulation.

07-26-15, 03:35 PM	#23
JRMichler Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Phillips, WI Posts: 109 Thanks: 10 Thanked 30 Times in 25 Posts	I built a new house about 3 years ago. The insulation sweet spot resulted in a heat loss of 13,000 BTUH for a 1300 SF house at -20 F outside and 70 F inside. The next level of insulation would have cut the gas bill by $50 per year at a cost of $12,000. There was no real in-between amount of insulation, and the job was already over budget. No savings in the heating system, either. I really wanted the U-0.20 or better windows, but the extra cost was prohibitive. I did get a house that cools down at 1 deg F per hour when it's 0 deg F outside. That, along with the woodstove, means that a furnace failure is merely an inconvenience. And, yes, I'm a mechanical engineer. If money was no object, I would have put in the better windows and extra insulation.