Case study · Whippany, NJ · Completed May 2022
Whippany Home Cuts Air Leakage 27% and Earns a $5,000 Rebate
Dennis looked around his attic one day and realized it had very little visible insulation compared with other homes he had seen. He knew that meant air leaks and energy escaping, so he went looking for what New Jersey's efficiency programs could do about it.
Measured results
4,599 → 3,375
CFM50 air leakage, before and after
27%
Reduction in air leakage
26%
Modeled total energy savings
$5,000
Rebate received
The post work reading of 3,375 CFM50 sits almost exactly at this home's building airflow standard, the minimum leakage it needs to stay properly ventilated. That is the point where sealing stops. Going tighter would have meant adding mechanical ventilation to keep the air healthy, so the number is a finish line rather than a shortfall.
Financing: 0% on-bill repayment over ten years for the balance.
Results are for this home. Every home's numbers differ — yours come from your own audit and energy model.
The home
Two story home with a kneewalled second floor and attached garage, about 2,000 square feet. Served by PSE&G.
What we installed
- Whole shell test and seal, including top plates and penetrations
- 6 inches of dense packed cellulose in the attic flat, R-22, 61 sq ft
- 11 inches of loose filled cellulose in the attic flat, R-41, 918 sq ft
- 11 inches of loose filled cellulose in a second attic flat, R-41, 572 sq ft
- 2 inches of polyisocyanurate on the kneewall, R-13, 112 sq ft
- Kneewall hatch insulated to R-13
- Attic stair cover insulated to R-13
- 2 inches of high density foam in the rim joist, R-13, 70 linear ft
- 4 inches of dense packed cellulose in the garage buffered walls, R-13, 288 sq ft
- Audit fee refunded on project completion
Completed through the PSE&G Home Performance with ENERGY STAR.
In Dennis Wilson's words
What would your home's numbers be?
Every project starts the same way: a three hour diagnostic audit that measures how your home actually performs, then an energy model that shows what the upgrades would return.