Insulation reduces heat loss and energy costs

If you’re like most visitors to the Coastal Discovery Centre, you’ve noticed a draft in the north end of the building. That’s an understatement! It isn’t rare to arrive at the Centre on a winter morning and find piles of snow in the hallway, having blown in through the gaps around the backdoors. Now, thanks to a development grant from ECBC, we can finally remove the duct tape and towels that serve as make-shift weather stripping. The doors are being replaced with an enclosed entryway comprised of two sets of double doors.

Workers recently finished insulating the ceiling—another huge source of heat loss—using a blown-in cellulose product made from recycled newspaper.

Lastly, they’ll seal the building envelope, meaning any remaining holes, cracks and gaps will be filled to further reduce heat loss.

How it will help

Insulation upgrades can reduce heating costs anywhere from 25 to 50%, depending on pre-existing levels of insulation and the type of insulating material used. The Centre’s walls were already insulated with conventional fiberglass insulation, but the ceiling was completely uninsulated. This was a huge source of heat loss.

Combined with the new door system and sealing the building envelope, we can expect significant savings. (And all the better to retain the energy produced by our solar systems for heat and hot water.)

Posted by Mike Targett | Email a comment