DOE/CE-0180
January 2008

Department of Energy
Assistant Secretary
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

R-Value Recommendations for Buildings

Heating System:
Cooling System: None
First 3 digits of ZIP code: 0
Location: ZIP_NOT_ASSIGNED, NU

Insulation Location R-Value* Notes
Attic -
Wood frame wall cavity -
Floor Over unheated, uninsulated space.
Crawl space wall Crawl space walls are only insulated if the crawl space is unvented and the floor above the crawl space is uninsulated.
Basement wall interior -
Insulative sheathing on empty wall Recommendation assumes that the exterior siding was removed for other purpose, i.e., does not include any consideration of the cost of removing and replacing the exterior siding.
Add insulative sheathing to R11 wall

* R-values have units of F-ft2-h/Btu. The recommended R-values were produced using the ZIP-Code computer program. The recommendations are based on an analysis of cost effectiveness, using average local energy prices, regional average insulation costs, equipment efficiencies, climate factors, and energy savings for both the heating and cooling seasons.

Building Envelope Research
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

For more information, contact the facility manager for Building Envelope Research:

Andre O. Desjarlais
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
P. O. Box 2008, MS 6070
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6070
E-mail desjarlaisa@ornl.gov

Revised: January 30, 2008