Radiant barriers are a good investment in a home or business, as they will save money on cooling and heating costs.
The radiant barrier is an aluminum surface that reflects heat back to where it came from. Heat from the sun in summer beats down on a roof and the surface gets very hot. The heat comes through the surface of the roof and into the attic and eventually it works its way down into the rest of the house, creating more need for air conditioning.
With a radiant barrier, that heat is reflected back toward the roof and does not allow as much heat to sink down into the house.
The same principal should apply in very cold weather. Heat rises and would normally escape through the roof to some degree. Having the barrier near the floor of an attic should keep some of that heat in, and save on heating bills as well. The radiant barrier is most effective in extremes, as it reflects the temperature back to where it came from, either keeping heat inside or outside.
Another aspect to the savings is the wear and tear on your heating and air conditioning units. A good radiant barrier might allow you to use a smaller heating or air conditioning system, which would be cheaper to run, and would produce additional savings.
A University of Central Florida study says installing a radiant barrier will pay for itself in 10 years.
Radiant barriers are static items however, and should last a very long time, probably longer than the house itself. There would be savings every year after it was installed. There is no maintenance cost and it does not wear out.
