Insulation and/or attic fans

We have 187 class C units in Houston. With steep pitched roofs with NO insulation in the attic and no mechanical fans.....just a few passive vents. We are anticipating heavy usage of air conditioning this summer and would like to consider "blowing in" R30 insulation. Past experience shows that when the electric bills skyrocket (because max AC usage)......retention suffers.
We do have a quote for a bit over $100,000.....about 5K a building. We do not have the cash to do that now. Each building has anywhere from 3000 sqft to 10,000 sqft of area that will be insulated. I have had great experience with solar ventilating fans in SFR applications in the past. I hesitate with the solar fans for two reasons
1. I hate for any reason to penetrate the roof for fear of creating leak/maintenance issues
2. our roofs are steeply pitched and the fan is at an angle such that rain can penetrate the vent.

ARE THERE ANY ALTERNATIVES that I should take a look at. Any insight would be appreciated

Rudy, it is in the best interest of the electric company or Retail Electric Provider (REP) to help reduce usage during peak times, so your first step should be to contact your service provider. I'm not sure which REP you're with, but I know, for example, that CenterPoint Energy does offer specific rebates on insulation.

Other steps to consider:

* Weatherization - rebates available
* Air Conditioning Units - change filters and, if possible make sure they are operating as efficiently as possible
* Awnings - provide shade
* Dark paving like asphalt creates a heat island effect where heat rises off the paving surface. An inexpensive way to deal with this problem is to shade the asphalt with a patio umbrella. I know it sounds kooky and it isn't right for every applicaation, but it works!

Here is the link to the Texas Residential Incentives page courtesy of the US Dept. of Energy:

www.dsireusa.org/incentives/homeowner.cfm?state=TX&re=1&ee=1

One last thing, can you DIY with staff on hand using roll out insulation? Be sure to seal the attic before insulating!

One last, last thing. I found another cool tool for you, courtesy the DOE again:

www.ornl.gov/~roofs/Zip/ZipHome.html

Do you really need to start with R-30? Can you get away with less to begin with until finances improve and did the insulation company include sealing and caulking in their bid? I cannot stress how important sealing and caulking are, particularly in multifamily where heat/cold, sound, smells and critters use gaps to travel from unit to unit.

Yes we can DIY, but upon further review of cost of materials.....savings are not significant.

Kimberly, thanks for the insight. we have a call into Centerpoint for assistance. I'll update with any success