Radiant Barrier

[z.monkey]

Howdy Y'all,

OK, got the October electric bill...

October 2007 $334.65
October 2008 $181.00

Savings         $153.65

The radiant barrier is the most effective energy project that I have engaged in this year.
I have saved $401 in electric costs since I finished the installation...

OK, Mo Later...

[Koen1]

You're just talking about good thermal isolation and thermally reflective material,
aren't you?

That proper thermal isolation material can save a lot of money on the heating bill
is a well known fact.

Calling it a "radiant barrier" seems a little misleading to me, as I imagine people
might think you're talking about "radiant energy barriers" or "radiant energy shields",
which is a term used by new-age golddiggers to sell people plates or objects made
of a "special material" that was "invented by Tesla" and transduces the "radiant energy"
into some form of chi-like "life energy". Or so they claim. That there is zero solid
information about this "purple plate"/"radiant energy shield" actually having been
invented and advertised by Tesla and linked to "life energy" at all does not stop them.

Of course the old term "radiant energy" is vague at best, was originally used in
various different meanings, from "electromagnetic radiation" to radioactivity
and cosmic (gamma) rays, and could mean anything really.

Still, it seems to me that if we're simply talking about keeping heat from leaking
out of the house, or in summer keeping heat from entering the house, by using
a layer of material that reflects the radiated heat, that we're actually talking
very clearly about thermal isolation and reflection.
Which is a lot less mysterious than "radiant energy".

[z.monkey]

Hey Koen1,
Long time no yaka yaka yaka....

This product is called "Radiant Barrier" because it was developed originally by NASA to shield satellites from cosmic radiation.  When this material is grounded it sinks EM radiation from low frequency radio waves, up into the microwave band, on into the near and far infrared, through visible light and on up into the cosmic wave realm of EM radiation.  This stuff is an EM shield, and the brand name that they used is "Radiant Barrier".  Well, what can I say, this is Texas, we got a way...

The product is made from a paper substrate, a polyolefin net, then laminated on both side with aluminum foil.  Its not mystical, its a solid Faraday Cage meant to block heat causing radiation.

Works good too...