Interior designers, architects, decorators and homeowners have been relying on skylights to add beauty, warmth, natural light and passive ventilation to interior designs for decades. Fortunately, advances in skylight design make them a cost-effective, green design element as well.
"Skylights ... enliven a home dramatically while cutting down the need for artificial light," notes the website ConsumerEnergyCenter.org (www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/windows/skylights.html) "They brighten up dark corners and let in lots of warmth. They can also provide much-needed ventilation."
Less dependence on artificial light sources or powered ventilation can mean lower electric bills in summer. Plus, warm sun entering the home through a skylight in winter can reduce your heating bills, as well. In fact, EnergyStar.gov says that installing Energy Star-qualified skylights, windows and doors can shrink your home's energy bill - and carbon footprint - by 7 to 15 percent over non-qualified products.
"Skylights convey drama, yet they're a surprisingly cost-effective home improvement," says Ross Vandermark, national product manager of Velux America, manufacturers of the Energy Star-qualified "No-Leak Skylight." "Installing the latest no leak solar powered fresh air skylights can be less costly than buying a new piece of furniture or putting in new carpet. Plus, if your interior design cries out for natural light, it's more practical and cost-effective to place skylights overhead than to add windows to a wall."
You can add a solar powered blind to the package and both the solar powered skylight and blind, as well as the installation costs, are eligible for a 30 percent federal tax credit.
Aesthetic benefits
By opening a room to the sky, skylights add a touch of drama to the interior design. They're also an appealing solution for rooms where a traditional window might be problematic.
For example, in a bath, a skylight that opens makes it possible to enjoy natural light and passive ventilation without sacrificing privacy. No leak solar powered fresh air models are also popular in kitchens to remove cooking odors and excess heat while brightening much-used workspaces. And solar powered blinds can be added in designer colors and patterns that make a fashion statement in addition to their functionality.
In other areas of the home, affordable tubular like Velux's Sun Tunnel products make it possible to easily and inexpensively introduce natural light to hallways, closets, and other smaller or confined spaces. With the addition of a light kit, twenty-four hour illumination is available.
Overall, skylights are less limiting to a room's design than a traditional window - all while admitting much more natural light. Many people completely overlook or underutilize the design potential of a ceiling. Skylights can turn that blank slate into a design statement that is both functional and beautiful.
At www.veluxusa.com there's an app that enables homeowners to see how skylights will look in their own homes plus a tax credit calculator that shows you how much can be saved on a replacement skylight or new unit installation.
Practical value
Fresh air skylights can also offer a low-cost way to address indoor air quality by removing humidity, fumes and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from homes through their natural chimney effect. In addition to helping improve indoor air quality, skylights allow you to turn off electric lights and save money on power bills.
Accessorizing with solar-powered, remote-operated blinds that qualify for tax breaks, allows homeowners to further incorporate skylights into a design theme. Plus, the blinds, which are available in a range of colors and patterns, enhance the efficiency of skylights by allowing control of the amount of light or heat that enters or leaves a room.
"Few home improvements marry the dramatic design impact and energy saving boost that you get from adding no leak solar powered fresh air skylights and solar powered blinds," says Vandermark. "When it comes to redesigning a room, they're truly the touch that elevates the look and feel of your decor."
You can learn more about window and skylight energy efficiency at www.energystar.gov, and for independent agency information visit www.nfrc.org or www.efficientwindows.org.
Media Contact:
Keith Hobbs - Business Services Associates, Inc. - 9413 Greenfield Drive -
Raleigh, NC 27615-2306 - Phone - 919.844.0064 - E-mail - khobbs@nc.rr.com
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