For 2 years before I built my house, I researched numerous green building techniques and products, as I see so much wasted water and energy as a home inspector. Several years ago,during a home inspection, I was delighted to discover a new skylight. It was small, round, and looked like a recessed light. It was so bright, I was looking for the switch to turn it off! I asked the owners about it and it led me to the internet searching for solar tubes.
There are several makers of theses skylights, the original being “Solatube”. These types of skylights are easier to install, and bring in so much light! They are also smaller, and less likely to leak than traditional skylights. Additionally, they are energy efficient, meaning they don”t allow heat or cold in or out of the house. ( They also have a tax advantage for being energy efficient!)
We installed 2 in our master bedroom closet, one in the powder room, the pantry, the laundry room, and the other bathrooms. During the day, we don’t have to turn on any lights in any part of our house.
Because we were in the process of construction, the placement and installation was easier than installing them after, but they are easier and can be installed anywhere. I don’t endorse any particular brand, but take a look at the specs at www.solatube.com to get an idea about what I am talking about.
The use of lights and appliances takes up about 34% of our energy usage according to the US Dept. of Energy. If your average bill is $100.00, you can save about 15-25 dollars per month on your energy bill by installing solar tubes, plus write off a portion of the cost of the solar tubes themselves.
Check them out if you could use more light in areas of your house!
