With Daylight Savings time approaching on March 11, it is a good time to reflect on light in the home. Realtors will attest to the value of a bright and welcoming home. Do you have any idea why the extra hour of daylight lifts our moods?
Solatube has provided 11 facts about daylighting that can help everyone appreciate an extra hour of daylight:
- Daylighting provides energy usage reduction during the most important time of day, peak hours, when energy rates are the highest and daylight availability is the greatest.
- Integrating daylight into home designs can slash interior lighting costs by up to 80%.
- Daylight is a great source of vital Vitamin D; just 20 minutes of daylight has the same Vitamin D as 200 glasses of milk.
- Tubular Daylighting Devices can bring daylight into dark spaces into homes and businesses, and can be easily installed in about two hours without the hassle and expense of reframing.
- A 2003 study of office worker productivity found that exposure to daylight was consistently linked with higher levels of concentration and better short-term memory.
- According to the Wisconsin-based Daylighting Collaborative, about 86% of electricity in traditional buildings is used for light, fans and cooling. A daylighting project can cut these costs by more than 50% by reducing electric lighting, because daylight produces less heat per unit of illumination than most light sources.
- Daylight provides the truest and most vivid color rendition of all available light sources.
- The Solatube 160 DS, a 10-inch tubular daylighting device designed for the home, can provide the equivalent of three, 100-watt incandescent light bulbs during the peak hours of the day without adding heat or glare to the room.
- Studies in Canada and Sweden noted improved student behavior and health, including fewer days of absences per year, in daylit classrooms.
- The new NAHB Green Home Building guidelines specifically recommend that Tubular Daylighting Devices be installed in rooms without windows.
- Skylights are cited as the number one option in “dream bathroom” designs.
Daylighting systems (i.e. windows, skylights, Tubular Daylight Devices, etc.) are not only eco-friendly, but they provide exceptional lighting and have even been proven to boost morale and productivity (among many other benefits). By using a renewable resource, daylighting systems are able to harness the sun’s rays and help build a sustainable future.
Remember to set your clocks forward on March 11 and enjoy the extra hour of daylight!
