Everyone loves daylight, but have you ever asked yourself why? With the Daylight Saving Time change happening on March 11, it’s a great time to consider why we crave that extra hour of daylight.
Here are 11 facts about daylighting that can help everyone appreciate an extra hour of daylight:
- Daylighting provides energy usage reduction during the most important time of day, peak hours, when energy rates are the highest and daylight availability is the greatest.
- Integrating daylight into home designs can slash interior lighting costs by up to 80%.
- Daylight is a great source of Vitamin D; just 20 minutes of daylight has the same Vitamin D as 200 glasses of milk.
- Tubular Daylighting Devices can bring daylight into dark spaces into homes and businesses, and can be easily installed in about two hours without the hassle and expense of reframing.
- A 2003 study of office worker productivity found that exposure to daylight was consistently linked with higher levels of concentration and better short-term memory.
- According to the Wisconsin-based Daylighting Collaborative, about 86% of electricity in traditional buildings is used for light, fans and cooling. A daylighting project can cut these costs by more than 50% by reducing electric lighting, because daylight produces less heat per unit of illumination than most light sources.
- Daylight provides the truest and most vivid color rendition of all available light sources.
- The Solatube 160 DS, a 10-inch tubular daylighting device designed for the home, can provide the equivalent of three, 100-watt incandescent light bulbs during the peak hours of the day without adding heat or glare to the room.
- Studies in Canada and Sweden noted improved student behavior and health, including fewer days of absences per year, in daylit classrooms.
- The new NAHB Green Home Building guidelines specifically recommend that Tubular Daylighting Devices be installed in rooms without windows.
- Skylights are cited as the number one option in “dream bathroom” designs
Daylighting systems (i.e. windows, skylights, Tubular Daylight Devices, etc.) are not only eco-friendly, but they provide exceptional lighting and have even been proven to boost morale and productivity (among many other benefits). By using a renewable resource, daylighting systems are able to harness the sun’s rays and help build a sustainable future.
This press release is presented without editing for your information. Natural Home & Garden does not recommend, approve or endorse the products and/or services offered. You should use your own judgment and evaluate products and services carefully before deciding to purchase.
