Imagine not having to turn on lights during the daytime and moonlit evenings.
When you think about improving your home’s energy efficiency or picking a home improvement project to get you through the winter doldrums, your initial thought may be to choose a big project, such as installing new windows and doors, replacing all the old appliances or reinsulating the walls.
Adding a natural light source enhances both the aesthetics and the efficiency of a home. It’s also affordable and with the right prep work, a construction crew can complete the installation in under two hours.
Lora Creswick at Light Benders, Portland, OR, explains the benefits of a solar tube lighting fixture. “Our customers enjoy not having to turn on a light to accomplish typical day to day activities. At the same time, they’re saving electricity and helping reduce their carbon footprint.”
Natural Lighting from a Solar Tube Light Fixture
A solar tube light fixture can be described as a modern version of a skylight. There’s a bubbled dome that sits on your rooftop capturing the sun’s rays and sending them into your home via the reflective Solatube. It diffuses midday sun when rays are most powerful, and it captures early morning and late evening light when the sun is at its lowest points. It is shaped and designed to bring in light on the most overcast days and even on full-moon nights.
“The old skylight windows always end up leaking at some point, and the UV issues are a continual problem as well as the energy loss from heat and cold,” Laura says. “Solatube Daylighting Systems do not leak, have UV protection and exceed LEED standards for heat loss and gain. They also qualify for the 30% Federal Energy Tax Credit. The long-term impact is that homeowners get more sunlight, save more electricity and improve our planet.”
One Solatube option includes a light kit or an attic fan to provide ventilation. It provides natural day light to areas in homes and businesses that would not normally have access to natural light.
The company recently installed more than 40 Solatube 21″ diameter daylighting systems on the first floor of a two-story Baker Prairie Middle School, in Canby, OR, to bring in natural lighting. The staff was excited and amazed to have skylights on their first floor in what was otherwise basic “school” lighting.
Natural sunlight is known to improve mood, too. Lora has received positive customer feedback, saying “Natural lighting makes people feel better, think more clearly and be more productive!” Who couldn’t use more natural light sources during this gloomy time of year?
The first thing you must do before installing a solar tube lighting fixture is to check the condition of your roof. If the roofing material is not in the best condition, Lora recommends attending to that first. Then, consider these questions before hiring a contractor:
- Does the company offer a 30% energy tax credit?
- Are they recommending a solid tube verses a flexible tube that may be a little easier to install but gives very little light?
- Can you select a diffuser options?
- Is there a light kit?
- Can you control the amount of light?
- Can you add a bath vent kit to the 10″ version?
- Does this a company specialize in providing daylighting or is it a mega corporation who will help you only if you fit their mold?
- Does the company stock all the spare parts you will eventually need or only the bare minimum and everything else is a special order?
Solar Powered Attic Fans
Light Benders has another product recommendation for a simple home improvement. The Solar Star Attic Fan takes heat and moisture out of attics which drastically reduces air conditioning energy costs in the summer and minimizes the possibility of mold and mildew during the colder times of year.
Solar attic fans have no switches; it automatically turns on at sunrise and turns off when it gets dark. The fan is quiet, uses no electricity and has only a few moving parts. It heats and cools your home, which saves money on your utility bills. This solar powered attic fan also qualifies for Energy Star tax savings.
You can expect to spend approximately $500 on either one of these two home improvement projects, not including the cost of installation. Before buying any product or attempting home improvement projects, it’s important to do your homework, know the difference between competing products, and ask questions.
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