Skylights are often seen as a kind of architectural indulgence but that narrow assessment doesn’t give them their due as a green home improvement; which they certainly are. Today’s skylights are every bit as energy efficient as the best double pane vinyl windows and the natural light they let in can result in lower costs for heating and lighting as well as a more welcoming environment for plants. Not convinced? Let’s take a look then at how residential skylights fare against other green home improvements.
Residential Skylights: Are They Really Green?
Residential skylights are not just beautiful they also compare favourably to other common environmentally responsible enhancements like:
- Dual Pane Windows – Standard dual pane windows – the kind you install in your kitchen and living room – provide effective insulation against heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. As such they help you save energy and money. Most of today’s skylights are also dual pane and as such need to be considered on par with the rest of your energy saving windows.
- Tankless water heater – Tankless water heaters heat only the water you need when you need it. They free you from having to have 50 gallons or more of hot water constantly sitting around gobbling up energy. Today’s home skylights also provide you what you need on demand. They let the warm sunshine in on those frigid cold days and open to allow heat to vent from the house on those blistering hot afternoons.
- The Programmable Thermostat – The programmable thermostat can adjust the temperature in your home automatically, eliminating the chance that you’ll forget to turn the temp down before you go to work or sleep. Likewise, you can install motorized shades over your skylights that are programmed to close during those times of the day when direct sunlight might cause your home to overheat.
The Many Green Benefits of Skylights
Few green home improvements can stand side by side with home skylights when it comes to:
- Reducing energy consumption – Skylights can reduce your dependency on artificial lighting thereby generating substantial savings on your monthly electric bill.
- Creating a healthier environment – Skylights bring natural light into long forgotten areas and natural light brings with it a reduction in the amount of potentially dangerous mold and bacteria that propagate in the dark, dank places of the home.
- Lifting the atmosphere – Numerous studies have concluded that people not only perform better, they feel better when the live and work in spaces that are flooded with natural light. As such skylights in the home can lift everyone’s spirits and make it a more upbeat, inviting place.
Residential skylights will not only enhance the curb appeal of your home they’ll make it a far more energy efficient, healthy and welcoming place for everyone. To learn more about the many green benefits of skylights and how they can transform the interior of your home talk to the skylight experts at Aluplex on (416) 665-4482.
