Home Improvement Ideas with Tubular Skylights!!!!

There Ain't No Cure for
Summertime Energy Blues

Electric Lights Are A Good Place To Start Cutting; Natural Lighting Makes It Easier
The dog days of summer will soon be upon us. Temperatures will rise, and along with them those hefty summertime energy bills.

We all know how tough it is to keep energy bills in check during the year's hottest months, when standing in front of an open refrigerator starts to seem like a really good idea. But, there are some things that can be done around the house to cut back on energy consumption without impacting your comfort level.

A simple one can be taking a quick inventory of your daytime lighting requirements. Many of us have those rooms that never seem to be bright enough - the windowless bathroom, the North-facing kitchen, or that tree-shaded den that feels like twilight even at high noon. Turning on the electric lights, and often keeping them on all day, is usually seen as the only option; after all, you need to be able to live in those spaces. But you may be surprised how much those lights are costing you over the long haul. It has been estimated that one-quarter of the annual electricity use in the United States can be attributed to lighting.

Take one step outside and you'll see the potential for energy savings is right above your nose - the sun. There's more than enough free sunlight to go around, particularly in the summer months when the days are longer and the skies are clearer. Harnessing that sunlight and using it or high-quality, efficient interior lighting has never been easier and more financially feasible.

The newest generation of skylights from Solatube International Inc. makes opening your home to more natural light quick and painless. Available in 10", 14" and 21" units, Tubular Skylights can be installed by a professional in about the time it takes to watch a re-run movie on cable and may even cost less than the repairman wants to fix the fridge you overheated.

Here's how it works: Tubular Skylights use a unique reflective system to capture both direct and ambient light on the rooftop of the home. This light is then directed down a highly reflective tube to a diffuser at ceiling level.

The revolutionary design allows the product to provide exceptional natural lighting even on cloudy days, in the winter months, and in the early morning and late afternoons when the sun is low on the horizon. That means extra daylight each and every day, regardless of the time of year or the weather outside. So, your naturally-lit home won't fade when summer ends.

Another major concern for anyone who has ever owned a traditional box skylight is the heat gain factor. After all, you don't want to be pumping your home full of expensive air conditioning if the area under the skylight is melting like pina colada sun-block on a sandy California beach.

Tubular Skylight's energy efficient, sealed design ensures the minimum amount of heat loss or gain between interior and outdoor environments. So, you're A/C won't work have to work overtime to compensate and the energy savings of retiring those daytime electric lights are all yours to enjoy!