Home Heat Loss Calculator

How to use:
Try to model your present home reasonably accurately.
Measure the area of each type of surface, calculate its R-Value and fill in the spreadsheet.
The result is two numbers.
First is the maximum output required for your heating system on the coldest day of the year.
This can be used to determine the correct size heating system if you need to replace yours.
Oversizing the system is inefficient but see the warnings below.
Second is an estimate of your current heating bill.
If this number is about right based on your bills have a workable model of how your house loses heat.
Modify this spread sheet as needed. It was designed for one particular home.
Add or delete rows as necessary for every type of surface in your home.
When you have a good model you can find what surfaces lose the most heat and predict possible improvements on your heating bill.
Warnings:
This is a cruder model than many that can be found on line. Search for "heat loss calculation" or "heat loss calculator."
There are simple but vital improvements you should make before using this spreadsheet that are not measured by it:
Seal leaky windows, doors and other cracks to cut down on convective heat loss.
Keeping your house at a different temperature than assumed by HDD values can result in significant errors in your model.
Be careful about installing a new heating system based on your own calculations. Professionals have different opinions.
They will size your system at about twice what is called for, in case you expand your home later or want a warmer house than they assume.
There is more to insulating your house than adding insulation, in particular, the vital need for vapor barriers. Educate yourself.
How your home loses heat:
Your heating ill depends mainly on:
The surface area of your house, not the volume of space inside.
The temperature difference between inside and out.
The amount and type of insulation.
The length and severity of the entire heating season, measured in heating degree days (HDD).
Each square foot of surface loses heat according to its insulation, assuming you have tightened cracks, loose windows, leaky doors.
The amount of insulation is measured by its R-value (resistance to heat flow) and thickness.
R-values add, so if you double your R value you cut the heat loss or need to heat by half.
Likewise if an inch of, say, wood has an R-value of 1, then 6 inches has an R-value of 6.
Materials will rarely perform quite as advertised due to faults in installation, degradation over time, etc.
One can improve insulation with radiant barriers like aluminum foil, but how much depends on the application. Look it up online.

Home Heat Loss Calculator

(See notes on the other side.)
Fill in the blue boxes. The results are in the green boxes.
HDD (heating degree days).
Winter thermostat setting of house.
The coldest one day average temperature expected.
Material/Exposure
Exposed to air
Walls
Type 1
Type 2
Type 3
Type 4
Windows
Attic
Roof
Type 1
Type 2
Type 3
Chimneys
Doors
Floors
Concrete walls
Total exposed to air

Area
in sq. ft.

Exposed to ground
Slab floors
Basement walls
Basement floor
Total exposed to ground

Total

Efficiency of heating system

This calculator assumes 65 is the indoor HDD value.

Net
Maximum BTU/hr
R-value Temp Diff. Maximum

0
0
0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
effective R
-50
-50
-50
0

effective R

100% for elec.

BTU /yr

% of total

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0

0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0

0.0
0.0
0.0
0

Maximum
Yearly
Heating
Heat Loss Heat Loss Requirement
BTU/hr
BTU/yr
Oil
0
0 or Natural gas
or Electricity
or Propane

0
0
0
0

gallons
therms
kWh
gallons

Some approximate R values.

(Search online "R-value" for other materials.)
Material
R per inch
Asphalt roll roofing
0.15
Asphalt shingles
0.44
Cellulose
3.5
Fiberglass batts
3.15
Glass(each layer)
1
Icynene
3.6-4.0
Plaster, bricks
0.2
Sheetrock
0.9
Stone, concrete
0.08
Styrofoam beadboard
4
Vermiculite
2.2
Wood
1