Aibonito Municipio, PR Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Aibonito Municipio, PR
Aibonito Municipio sits in IECC climate zone 1 (Hot-Humid) — humid heat for much of the year, with cooling running far more than heating ever does. For a currently uninsulated attic, DOE and ENERGY STAR recommend building up to R-30. Going from R-2 to the recommended R-30 costs roughly $1,680 installed for a typical attic (about 1,000 sq ft), and pays for itself in about 4.3 years at an estimated $395/year saved. Worth doing on the numbers alone.
Heating vs. cooling in Aibonito Municipio
Of that, about $7/year comes from reduced heating and $388/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Aibonito Municipio beats 1% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 81 counties DOE places in zone 1, Aibonito Municipio ranks 64th. Against Puerto Rico's own average of $660/year, Aibonito Municipio runs 40% below that.
Where these numbers come from
Aibonito Municipio's climate figures — 27 heating and 2,502 cooling degree days a year — are read from AIBONITO 1 S, PR RQ, 0.2 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. Combined heating and cooling load puts Aibonito Municipio in the 1th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. DOE also classifies Aibonito Municipio as moisture regime A (humid) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
Already have some insulation?
A shallower starting point changes the math: with R-11 already down, only the gap to R-25 needs filling, at roughly $840 for an estimated $43/year saved (~19.5-year payback). It is close - the payback only just fits a reasonable timeframe.
Quotes and materials for this job
Real bids depend on how easy the attic is to reach and whether old insulation needs removing first, so treat $1,680 as a starting estimate for a Aibonito Municipio job, not a quote. Expect at least a $600 minimum charge from most contractors.
More on how this was built
Nothing here is a guess: the methodology guide names the DOE climate map and NOAA station data behind every number on this page. See the DIY vs. contractor guide for whether a job this size is realistic to do yourself.