Add Natural Lighting To Your Home

Are confused about which is the greener way to light your home, CFL (compact fluorescent light) or LED fixtures? Neither of these options is completely free of impact on the environment—or your household budget. Rather than replacing fixtures and bulbs with yet another source of electrical lighting, consider natural lighting. Skylights, sky tunnels and sky tubes are earth-friendly, budget-wise alternatives to electrical lighting. And there are a number of affordable, easy-to-install kits that will bring the beauty of sunlight to almost any room of your home.

Check the Bill

On the average, 20% of our electric bills goes to lighting.¹ (No wonder Mom was always hounding us to turn off the lights.) And no one expects electrical costs to go down in the future. By installing natural lighting in just one room, you cut costs and help the environment.

Know New Lighting

With new designs, and energy efficient technology, gone are those boxy skylights that leaked air, water and energy. Similar in appearance to roof vents, the new tubular and tunnel skylights use optical domes to capture light. Reflective tubes transmit the sunlight through a diffuser into your room. The result is an evenly lit room with no spots or glares. You can use vented fixtures in bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms to control moisture and odors.

Natural lighting may even change your behavior. Studies have shown that natural lighting can make students learn more, increase productivity in the workplace, improve recovery in hospital patients, and generally make you happier and healthier. 2 Natural lighting is easier to read and work by and, without the shadows caused by electrical lighting, it is a safer, more effective source of lighting for older adults to use.

References

• 1. The number one way to go green, ebuild
• 2. Making the most of light-the natural way, Solatube

photo by Jessica Browne