Use your natural resources smartly

What we leave behind for our future generations will influence the way they look back at us. We are damaging our planet at an accelerated rate. Is this what we want to be remembered for? Yes, people are starting to realize that we may be doing irreparable damage to the planet. There are many organizations fighting to repair this damage, and educate people on how they can help reduce the effect that we are having on Earth, and on our future generations.

The major pollutants are factories and other big industrial units. But laws have been written to ensure that the big time polluters have to abide by environmental friendly rules. There is nothing that we can do to change that, except protest and make a stand. But as an individual, there are a lot of ways in which we can decrease the damage that we are doing. Here are a few tips on how we can use our natural resources smartly, to ensure that we leave less of a carbon footprint.

One of the major areas where, as individuals, we impact the environment is in housing. There are many ways in which we can make a home eco friendly. It is more expensive, but the amount of money that you save, once you start living in an eco friendly house, will offset what you paid to build it. These green buildings use as much renewable resources as possible.

Sunlight concepts!

Lighting up your home

One of the best inventions in recent times is daylighting systems. People have realized that they spend too much time in closed up surroundings, with no access to natural light. By installing daylighting systems in their home, they can now make sure that they and their family have access to the healing rays of the sun, which provides much needed vitamin D for the body.

By installing daylighting systems, the benefits they get are innumerable.

·   Their family is exposed to the sun daily and are healthier

·   Their electricity bill goes down

·   They are being eco friendly

·   By installing daylighting systems, you get a federal tax rebate

·  Houses that have daylighting systems installed, fetch a better price when it is time to sell

You are making a wise choice by making a decision to live in a green building. Your children and grandchildren will thank you for this choice!

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Impact of daylighting systems on your family

It is a well known fact that sunlight benefits us in many ways. The healing rays of the sun:

·  Provides the body with Vitamin D which boosts the body’s immune systems

·   Prevents rickets

·  Helps protect the body from TB because of the boost to our immune system

·   Prevents depression

·   Beneficial to Alzheimer’s patients

·   Helps heal psoriasis

·   Reduces the threat of multiple sclerosis

These are just a few of the many ways in which the sun helps us. It is important to have exposure to some amount of sun every day. These days we move from insulated homes, to insulated cars to insulated schools or workplaces. Our exposure to the sun has reduced drastically, and this is manifesting in various kinds of illnesses. You can make sure that your family has a regular dose of sunlight everyday by installing daylighting systems.

The benefits of installing daylighting system

Houses, big and small can get daylighting systems installed. The daylighting systems are so advanced that it can be made to fit any kind of structure. With a little help and advice, you can figure out what kind of daylighting system will work best for your home and family. Here are some of the benefits of installing a daylighting system in your home.

Health benefits to your family

By installing a daylighting system, you are making sure that you home is bathed in natural sunlight as much as possible. The sun’s rays spread through your home, providing Vitamin D that your family needs. This goes a long way in ensuring that you family is healthy and protected from illnesses.

Saves money

Buying a daylighting system is a onetime expenditure. But paying electricity bills is a monthly one. By installing daylighting systems, you bypass the need for electric lights during the day. It also helps keep the house warm during the colder season, as the sunlight heats up the home. By installing a daylighting system, you save money.

Gives a sense of well being

Sunlight actually cheers you up. It is a proven fact that cold and dark days are depressive. When you have a home filled with sunshine every morning, you wake up feeling cheerful. It is a great deterrent to depression. You will see that your family also seems more happy and cheerful when the house is brightly lit with sunlight. It also helps boost the amount of work that you do. A person who is happy does a lot more work than someone who is not.

Raises the value of your house

If your family is growing, and you think that it is time to move to a bigger house, you will be happy to know that the inspired decision to install a daylighting system will actually benefit you, during the sale of your house. A house that already has a daylighting system installed fetches a higher price than one that doesn’t. So, you can look at a much bigger profit from the sale. This will help you buy a bigger place, in a better neighborhood, thereby enriching the lives of your family members.

Easy upgrade

Installing a daylighting system is very easy. Most dealers offer installation services when you buy the unit from them. They will install it with the minimum of fuss and it will be up in no time at all.

This Christmas, why not indulge your family and get yourself a daylighting system. Many dealers for daylighting systems have holiday offers and you can take advantage of one of them. Install a daylighting system! Go Green!

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Daylighting Strategies

The largest energy load in any home is heating and cooling. The one source of energy that has a dramatic impact on minimizing heating and cooling costs is from the sun. Every home should be designed and oriented in a way to utilize solar energy. Passive solar design can lower your energy bills significantly compared to photovoltaic and solar hot water collectors that are used to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.

Designing your home to utilize natural night or daylighting requires special attention in certain areas where visual tasks take place like the reading area, living room, home office and kitchen. Other places that require adequate lighting are walk in closets and utility rooms. In these spaces, daylighting can reduce the need for artificial lighting. Solar tubes are useful for providing natural light in these type of locations and also hard to reach darkened areas.

You can consider a few daylighting strategies like the ones listed below:

·  To let light indoors, the house should be placed and angled accordingly. This is done by shading the windows from the heat of the day by using canopies or trees.

·  To admit warm winter light and block out the harsh summer sun, consider sizing overhangs. The house needs to be properly shaped to balance the light so that every room has light entering from at least two sides. H shaped and C shaped houses are constructed in a way that allows light entering every room from two sides. However they are less energy efficient and compact compared to rectangular shaped houses.

·  Adding daylighting products for the atrium and courtyard can illuminate the entire indoor space from above. The only way to direct natural light into darkened areas of interior spaces is to transfer sunlight from a daylighting device situated on the roof to areas inside the house.

·   A daylighting expert can guide you to install the device based on the climate and the room. There are many factors considered like whether the space needs warm ambience or bright task lighting or will the presence of windows prove a liability in a well insulated space or will they be used for solar heat gain. Questions like these require careful evaluation to determine a home’s basic needs.

What is passive heating and daylighting? It is all about planning your home design with a compass. You need to determine how the sun moves throughout the day and through the course of the year in the area you live before designing a floor plan. Selective construction strategies can save a lot of money in the long run, especially for heating and lighting. Also, there is another added advantage for the homeowner and that is a naturally lit house with plenty of sunlight that is a more pleasant and healthy place to live in. Use your home’s design to let in as much sunlight as possible.

Setting each room in your house thoughtfully goes a long way in helping your indoor space stay well lit and illuminated. Morning sun is usually dominant on the east side. You can place your kitchen and dining room in that area to make the most of natural light early in the day. Of course, early morning sunshine is definitely good for you. Bedrooms that have east facing windows will be ideal for early risers but not for those who would like to sleep in. Bedrooms with west facing windows will be ideal for late risers. Sunlight is the strongest on the south side, so you can place your living room in that area as it is the most used room in the house. The north side has the least amount of sunlight, so you can locate the bathrooms and utility rooms in that area where natural light is not so important.

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Daylight fixtures – Green lighting

Living room is the focal point of a house where family members gather to spend leisure moments. This is the family room where guests are entertained. So, proper decoration of this room matters a lot. You need to be extra careful about selecting appropriate lighting fixtures for the living room. A poorly lit living room is not really the right place to engage in activities like reading, chatting, watching TV or playing board games with your kids. Again insufficient lighting doesn’t do justice to your stunning room décor and furnishings. So, if you are pondering about how to pick up best lighting fixtures for the living space, given below are few helpful suggestions.

Think of fixtures which are easily controllable, practical and saves energy

The room which is used most often and that too for long stretches needs to have lighting arrangement which is functional and cost effective. With daylight concepts gathering momentum, such illumination can be achieved easily and that too without spending a fortune. Just install necessary devices outside to catch the sunlight. Then decorate the room with eye-catching fixtures so as to transmit the pure and clean sunlight into your living space. Such a system not only guarantees exceptional lighting and vibrant effects but is highly flexible too. So, if your living room doesn’t have direct roof access, don’t worry. You can benefit from Daylight fixtures all the same. Another advantage is that you can totally switch off electric lights during the day and thus save a significant amount on energy bills.

Pick out “Green” lighting options

We all know that sunlight is good for health. However, it is our lifestyle and work pattern which forces us to spend maximum hours under a fluorescent bulb. This in turn means you are getting exposed to varied degrees of mal-illumination. So, why not make an effort to transform your living room into a “green” and healthy one so that when your loved ones gather at the end of the day they can not only enjoy fun moments but feel fresh and rejuvenated too!   

Emphasize on light color and intensity

If you want to highlight the living room’s attractive interior décor then be careful about picking out appropriate light color and matching intensity. Daylight fixtures offer enough flexibility in this regard so that you can select natural daylight with warming or softening effect.
 
Give a thought for the look

Now that you have taken care of all practical aspects of the lighting system, it is time to think about elegance and style. Oversized light fixtures jutting out of the wall or ceiling don’t really make a great picture! Modern households demand light fittings which are discreet, dazzling and classic; a lighting which can weave magic by creating cascading designs. With so many Daylight fixture options available, you can easily render a contemporary look or a timeless appeal to your living space.

When it comes to purchasing daylight fixtures, trust a certified dealer only. Enquire about the product features, warranties and installation process before finalizing a particular Daylighting option.

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