Final answer:
Ventilating attic areas is essential to prevent moisture buildup, and adding additional fiberglass insulation can decrease heating costs. The exact percentage reduction depends on insulation properties, but increased insulation thickness reduces heat flow, thereby saving energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Proper ventilation of attic areas is crucial to preventing the accumulation of moisture vapor, which can lead to various problems such as mold growth, wood rot, and a decrease in insulation effectiveness. In the context of improving home energy efficiency, adding extra insulation can be beneficial. When considering enhancements to a house's insulation, one effective method is to increase the thickness of fiberglass insulation in the attic. Suppose a house already has 15 cm of fiberglass insulation and you added an additional 8 cm. To quantify the benefits, consider a single-story cubical house with dimensions of 10 m by 15 m by 3.0 m. Enhancing the insulation thickness can lead to a significant reduction in heating costs because the thicker insulation provides better resistance to heat flow, helping maintain a more consistent interior temperature and reducing the demand on heating systems.
However, calculating the exact percentage of heating cost reduction requires a detailed understanding of the house's thermal properties and the insulation's R-value, which measures the insulation's resistance to heat flow. Without this information, we can assert that the cost would decrease, but not specify the exact percentage. It is important to note that while increasing insulation can decrease heating and cooling costs, other factors like air infiltration and heat loss through windows and doors also play a role; these were advised to be ignored for the purposes of this calculation.