Homeowners flipping the switch to off with the help of skylights
Energy-Saving
While most homes and businesses use artificial light to keep their spaces lit during the day this comes with a high drawbacks whereas the suns energy is free! How many times have you opened your energy bill and thought to yourself that it needed to be lowered.
While doing things like remembering to flip the switch off when you leave a room or opening the shades on your vertical windows are a quick simple fix they don’t tend to make dramatic changes on your bills, especially since light comes from up above and not from the sides of our home.
Switching to skylights brings the light right from the source from above and down to the room below.
Skylights placed in the proper location of their home will benefit the homeowner throughout the year. In the winter the skylights become a way of taking advantage of the daylight from the shortened days and also provide some additional heat from the sun’s rays.
Those living in states with cold winters love this feature. In the summer the skylights continue to fill a home with light but won’t keep filling it with any additional heat.
Every skylight manufacturer will differently promote the best ways to prevent heat gain. FAKRO skylights promote the Low-E glass which is tinted to block out some of the suns strong UV rays all year round but for the additional protection they market their external and internal blinds.
In the video below, FAKRO states that by installing their external blinds the user can block more of the sun’s heat than with traditional internal blinds.
Homeowners in states that stay warm all year round should consider always purchasing their skylights with blinds so they can stay in total control of the light all year round. Studies show skylights still save money for those who live in constantly sunny states.
Productivity
According to Psychology Today, “The extent to which daylight exposure impacts office workers is remarkable,” said study co-author Ivy Cheung, a Neuroscience doctoral candidate at Northwestern University. “Day-shift office workers’ quality of life and sleep may be improved via emphasis on light exposure and lighting levels in current offices as well as in the design of future offices,” said Cheung.
Same applies to the lighting levels in our home. In most homes each room has one source of light which comes from a floor lamp or ceiling fixture. As you may have noticed this light doesn’t spread far from its source especially when it comes to lighting up an entire room. Whereas skylights instant began to flood a room with light the moment the blinds are pulled up or the sun comes up. Check out the video below to see this kitchen instantly light up once the home owner retracts his blinds.
Mental Health and Physical Health
You probably heard your doctor tell you that you need more sun in your life but who has time to hang out outside all day when your office job requires you at your desk. That’s why more and more businesses are installing skylights to boost productivity from their employees. If your employer don’t see a future in skylights that’s ok!
You should consider enjoying the light in your own home then. Longer summer days will allow you to come home and do the work that still needs to be done at home all while safely soaking in some sunshine.
According to Healthline, it also boosts vitamin D!
“When exposed to sunlight, the skin absorbs vitamin D, a critical nutrient that prevents bone loss and reduces the risk of heart disease, weight gain, and various cancers.
The so-called “sunshine vitamin” also doesn’t discriminate based on whether you get your sunlight indoors or out.
Meaning: increasing your natural light where you spend the most time, be it home or the work place is equally important.”
It also helps fight off seasonal depression. While for some fall is about hot cocoa, pumpkin spice coffee creamers and leaves for many others it’s the time when Seasonal Affective Disorder begins (or the milder version of the “Winter Blues”). Getting as much crucial light during the autumn day hours is so important for your health.
Value
While renovating a home or just looking to increase your home value one project at a time, installing skylights comes as a great way to guarantee an increase in a home’s value! People love natural light and when a realtor is showing a home they focus on making the skylights part of their selling point especially when they are Energy-Star Qualified and guaranteed no leak.
Solar powered skylights, blinds and installation also qualify for a tax credit! Under the Emergency Stabilization Act of 2008 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, “solar electric property” expenditures are eligible for a tax credit through 2021.
So if you plan on purchasing any skylights soon keep your receipts because tax credits are applied to the total price paid for the products and installation.
Makes Your Space Feel Bigger
No matter how small the skylight or the space, natural light will make a space feel bigger. Skylights and roof windows give an infinite look to your ceiling causing the illusion that it is vaster or open right above.
