Skylights And Heatwaves - The Myths And The Reality

 It's not just the U.S., the whole world has gone through one of the worst heatwaves on record. Forget about the difficulty in going out – even staying indoors was uncomfortable. Yes, global warming is the cause and actions need to be taken to prevent it from getting worse and for the climate crisis to not become climate catastrophe. Hopefully, things will improve and disaster will be avoided. But it will take years before results are tangible. So how do people survive the heat in the near future? The internet and TV are full of tips on protecting yourself when you go out in the heat. What often gets less coverage is how to stay cool at home.

Reducing The Heat At Home

The first thing to note is that running air conditioning is not reducing heat. It is getting rid of existing heat in the house. Reducing heat meant bringing the indoor temperature so that the air conditioning has to deal with a lower heat load. This is the preferable option because:

• Less electricity is consumed so the utility bill is lower

• Running the air conditioning is adding to your home’s carbon footprint so you are contributing to global warming

Agreed, you cannot always do without the AC. But keeping the house cooler will reduce your dependence on it. Over the last few months, it has become difficult to avoid being inundated with ideas on how to keep your home cool. What many of these sources misunderstand is the role of skylights in adding to the indoor heat load. It may seem obvious that a window in the roof that lets in direct sunlight will make the house warm. But the reality can be very different. It all depends on the type of skylight that is installed. It is possible to have a skylight that brings clear daylight into the house without making the indoor spaces warmer. In other words, the ideal skylight.

What The Ideal Skylight Should Be

What makes the ideal skylight? The key features are:

• High-performance dual pane glass for maximum thermal insulation.

• Integrated thermal barriers to keep heat transfer to a minimum.

• Glass that blocks harmful UV rays while allowing clear daylight to enter.

• An option to fit the skylight with glass that diffuses the daylight so that what enters the home is softer and more evenly disbursed.

• Integrated skylight shades so enable increased control over the amount of daylight entering the home.

• Easily openable to allow fresh air to enter the home.

• If it is openable, it should be solar powered with a remote to enable hassle-free opening and closing.

• There should be a rain sensor so that the skylight automatically closes when rain is detected.

• The skylight should have tempered/laminated glass to make it hail and impact resistant.

• The design should be such that it offers the maximum sound absorption so the interiors stay calm and quiet.

• A bonus will be if the homeowner is entitled to a federal tax credit for installing this type of skylight.

A skylight of this type will give your home the clear natural light you want to keep the interiors clear and bright without significantly adding to the indoor heat and increasing the heat load that fans and air conditioners have to deal with.

Finding The Ideal Skylight

There is no shortage of manufacturers offering various types and configurations of skylights. They all claim to be the best. Some of them may have some of the features listed above, but finding skylights with all these benefits is not easy. On top of that, you need to ensure that the quality of the skylight is such that you can be sure of many years of problem-free service.

Daylighting is the term used to describe the use of daylight to illuminate indoor spaces. This can be achieved to some extent by windows. But often they do not allow adequate amounts of sunlight to enter. This is where skylights enter the picture. Being on the roof and with no obstructions, they are the most effective daylighting device. In the field of daylighting, there is one name that has been for decades the industry leader that sets standards for others to try to emulate. That company is Solatube. The company is known for its traditional and also tubular skylights and has always set benchmarks for others to aspire to.

Installing The Best Is Easy

If you live in the Northern California Bay Area, getting started on having a skylight that will give you all the natural light you want, not make the house warmer in summer or colder in winter, and which will give you many years of trouble-free operation is just a phone call away. Sunlight Concepts is the Premier Solatube dealer for this area and our phone number, Bay area (408) 317-0510 or Monterey area (831) 208-5806 . Call us and ask for a free consultation where we will evaluate your daylighting needs, offer you the best skylight to meet those requirements and answer all your questions. Once you have all the information at your disposal and have made an informed decision, we will get started on the installation ensuring that we tidy up behind us and leave you with a clean beautifully daylit home. For more information on who we are and what we do, check out our website. Sunlight Concepts is your one-stop destination for the best in traditional and also tubular skylights as well as skylight replacement.