If you re designing and building a new home keeping an unconditioned attic cooler in summer is pretty much irrelevant.
Best way to lower attic temperature in summer.
Installing attic vents if you don t already have them is another way to assist in the movement of hot and cold air out of your attic.
Install electric ventilators and attic fans which remove hot air from an attic.
These keep the attic cooler than dark shingles.
You could achieve lower attic temps by putting radiant barrier on the rafters but unless you have uninsulated air handlers and ducts up there it wouldn t be economic in a denver climate increasing the heating season energy use more than is offset in cooling costs.
They have thermostats that turn the fan on at a recommended preset temperature of 100 110 degrees.
Dropping the temperature from 120 150 degrees to roughly the same as the outside temperature will save you enough on your power bill to offset the purchase and installation charge.
To head off these problems consider these options for bringing your attic s temperature down.
As a general rule the lower the outdoor temperature the lower the recommended humidity setting.
You want to avoid ice buildup or condensation that could lead to structural problems in your attic.
When reroofing use white or pale gray shingles instead of dark ones.
Here are ten different ways to reduce your attic heat temperature and save you money.
Providing half air change per minute will lower the temperature to about 106 degrees f.
The thermostat will usually start at 95 degrees fahrenheit which is the temperature that the attic fan usually starts at.
Calculations indicate that on a july day in texas a ventilation rate of one air change per minute for a typical attic using 95 degree f air will lower the peak attic temperature to about 101 degrees f.
Gable vents around 25 each plus 75 per vent for labor can lower attic temperatures about 10 degrees.
Just make sure the ceiling is airtight and fully insulated and the temperature in the attic doesn t matter much.