Insulating Paint Provides Savings on Power Bills

With the fluctuating costs of oil and gas, it is no wonder that Americans and many people across the world are trying to find ways to save on energy costs in their homes and businesses. Power bills in many parts of the country continue to rise and this is having a serious effect on many people's wallets. The Nevada Power Company in Nevada has raised rates by several percent this year so far and is seeking another rate hike in November. So how can we Americans save on our power bills and get the full use out of the energy we use?

Insulating paint may be a good alternative to the regular paints that are on the market. New homes that are being built should be fitted with high quality insulation whenever possible because this will provide more energy savings in the long run. Unfortunately, older homes that are fifty or more years old may not have been fitted with high quality insulation. Unless people are willing to pay a pretty penny to tear a home apart and have high quality insulation installed, insulating paint may be a better option.

The idea of insulation paint came from NASA thermal research that was done at Ames Research Center. Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions (Melbourne, Florida), "a manufacturer and marketer of thermal solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial applications," took the research done at Ames and improved on the properties of the high performance insulating ceramic mircrosphere by removing all of the gas and creating a vacuum. This vacuum acts as a barrier because it reflects heat away from the surface that the paint is being applied to. The ceramic beads are very small, non-toxic, and inert. These properties allow them to mix well with regular paints. When the paint is applied to a surface such as a wall or roof, the microsphere coating shrinks and becomes extremely compacted (the vacuum). This gives a tough barrier which not only saves energy but also provides resistance to fires, ultraviolet rays, insects, and other forces of nature.

For people who are interested in insulating paint, there are two options. One can either by the additives which can be put into regular paints or one can purchase paint that already contains the additives. The insulating paint is good for the exterior and interior of buildings. When the insulating paint is applied to the interior, less heat is able to escape outward. When the paint is applied to the exterior, less heat is able to get inside a structure. The Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions insulating paints and additives can be applied to many surfaces including metal buildings, walk-in coolers and freezers, delivery trucks, buses, and even trailers. These insulating paints are great to add to the exteriors of walk-in coolers and freezers and trailers because the cooling systems are not strained as much.

According to Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions, the average home requires about 10 to 12 gallons of paint for the exterior. That is about $114.00 worth of paint additive sold by Hy-Tech. In the end, the savings attributed to the insulating paint would become much higher than what was paid for the paint initially. The paint has many wonderful characteristics such as the fact that it is nontoxic, environmentally friendly, increases property value, saves money on heating and cooling bills, and even helps lessen loud sounds.

In addition to Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions, you may also want to check out Nansulate and Insuladd. According to Lee Wallender on About.com, Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions said that the paint has "hindered heat transfer by 35%."

Sources:

"Home Insulation With the Stroke of a Brush." http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/spinoff2003/er_4.html

Hy-Tech Thermal Solutions, http://www.hytechsales.com/

Lee Wallender, "Insulating Paint." About.com