The article above about “saving tons of energy and money” recently hit home with users of Insuladd’s® new ceramic insulating paint additive distributed by Road Home Builders, LLC. It’s as simple and easy to use as “Add and Stir” and can be used with virtually any paint found in retail stores or home improvement centers.

Commercial and residential building owners in Louisiana and Texas can reduce energy consumption by 20% or more by the proper use of the ceramic insulating paint developed via the Technology Exchange program at NASA. Many ceramic coatings use NASA claims but Insuladd® can prove theirs unlike promoters. Not all technology is the same, even though that’s their claim.

Insuladd® ceramic paint additive has withstood the rigors of the most extreme and demanding conditions including applications on a U.S. Navy Arctic Research Vessel, oil storage tanks in the Middle East, Metal shipping containers, factories and warehouses.

Think of how film manufacturers use thin coatings applied to windows to reduce the heat gain through glass while still letting light in. They are trying to block the thermal radiation out while letting the photons that people want in the house. Why can’t that same concept be applied to the whole house? Well now it can, when you paint your house with Insuladd®.

Thermal barriers on roof sheeting were developed and are used to keep solar radiation from entering the attic space, but who wants to rip off their shingles and roof system to insulate. The ability to apply a sprayed on or rolled on insulation to the underside of the roof decking or directly to the shingles is a much easier sell to the homeowner. Houses with Insuladd ceramic paint additives are easier to sell due to the energy savings and the “green” trend now demanding low and no VOC paints and materials in a house.

Health, durability and Savings are trademarks of a Sunoconomy home, a standard that demands forward thinking, efficient and effective green products. Insuladd® meets the Sunonomy standard and is available from dealers or painters in your area.

Sunconomy recently added Insuladd, an insulating paint additive, that saves homeowners at least 20% on their energy bill. Paint contractors, homeowners and DIY enthusiasts are looking for ways to save money while not being overwhelmed with technical or complex solutions. Insuladd is a simple “mix & stir” solution to save money for every homeowner. “Don’t just Paint, Insulate” is the company’s slogan.

This simple “mix & stir” solution is so easy that Home Depot and Lowes are in discussions to become distributors to the general public. It’s really an easy decision to make because there is so much value to using the product. The easy to use packet is easy to use by pouring one packet into one gallon of paint…..any paint that you want to use.

“Being able to offer flexibility to the homeowner or painter to use whatever brand or color they like is a huge benefit” to the customer, says Larry Haines, Sunconomy founder. Most ceramic coating offer white and can’t change their color. Insuladd allows the customer the most flexibility regarding brand and paint color while saving energy every month. It’s the only paint additive that actually pays for itself through energy savings.

Here’s how it works. NASA needed a coating material that was super light weight yet very temperature resistant due to the rigorous demands of the space program. NASA and Tech Traders (the original NASA partners) developed Insuladd through years of testing and application. Using microscopic ceramic beads, Insuladd works as a radiant heat barrier unlike fiberglass insulation that just retards the heat, Insuladd actually stops the heat from coming through the wall.

Let’s define it from the consumer’s point of view. What’s your take?

It is commonly said that women make 80% of the buying decision when purchasing a house. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand what influences the buying decisions of this market segment.

An article in USA Today by Noelle Knox discusses some of the trends that seem to influence the purchase of a home by single women. These include:

Women are marrying later in life
Divorce is more prevalent than earlier decades
Women are living 5 years (on average) longer than men – 79 yrs vs. 74 yrs.
Women have more money than before
Women have more earning power than before, making it easier to qualify for a loan.

The question is much like Mel Gibson’s Movie “What Women Want,” where his character doesn’t understand women and stumbles through the movie trying to figure out how to relate to his co-star Helen Hunt. So the big question is; When considering a “green home”, what do women really want?

The big picture…

Just how important is reducing carbon emissions to the consumer in making a buying decision?

Personally, I don’t think the consumer can relate to “Million Metric Tons Carbon Dioxide”.

How would you bring it down to the lowest common denominator to influence the home buyer’s decision to purchase one house over another?

Energy Star put out the below pie chart showing what the average US home energy bill pays for. If solar could provide for the usage of all heating, cooling, water heating, appliances and lighting; what would that be worth to the homeowner over the life of a house? In other words, if the average US Household has an energy bill of $250 per month (annualized); what is the value to the homeowner over a 30 year mortgage?

Things to consider include:
1. Tax credits from state and federal sources
2. Net cost of initial system financed over thirty years plus maintenance
3. Energy savings that can be invested
4. What returns are available historically to investors over that time period
5. Appreciation of home value due to “Net Zero” status
6. Value of having power during extended power outages such as hurricane Katrina, Ike or Gustav

We open the discussion to define the life cycle costs and social impact of having a net zero home in today’s environment and also in a future light of energy supplies and cost fluctuations.

Many are turning to installations of emergency generators at a cost of $8,000 – $12,500 or more to ensure they don’t have to do without power in a natural disaster. That’s money well spent if its ever needed but the problem is that it is never used unless needed.

Solar photovoltaics on houses are now being considered as power supply options on a yearly basis. States like Louisiana have net metering and allow the homeowner to produce power when the sun shines and send it into the grid and then purchase power from the grid as needed. More sophisticated systems can even use battery back up systems to be “off the grid” or in the case of natural disasters, self reliant.

When looking at options to go solar some of the considerations might include:
1. What are the primary and secondary benefits of solar vs other power production options?
2. How can house design minimize the cost of power production options?
3. What is the reliability of a damaged solar cell vs. a damaged back up generator?
4. What are the tax benefits to the homeowner for solar installations?
5. Can a generator be designed to produce hot water in addition to power? If so, at what cost?

Living in both Louisiana and Texas these last 4 years, natural disasters that take out power grids are a real force to be reconned with. What are your thoughts and ideas on dealing with hurricanes, ice storms, earthquakes, and flooding?

The world woke up to the fact that it has finite resources and will pay more for energy, clean water, food, cars, and products of all kinds in the very near future. Price shocks like $5.00 per gallon gas or “fuel adjustment” charges on utility bills rock our budgets and literally make us change our behaviors.