There are quite a number of reasons why more and more houses are making use of natural lighting. For one, a number of studies have shown that students learn more quickly when studying with natural light. Also, natural light enhances the overall health of plants, animals, and your family, since sunlight can provide a source of vitamins A and D. Natural light helps to regulate the body's rhythm. Lack of sunlight can throw off the internal body clock and disrupt waking and sleeping patterns, causing poor performance at work or school, daytime drowsiness, and even contribute to depression It's no wonder why many modern houses are being designed to allow the maximum use of natural sunlight. If you're interested in a home where natural light is highlighted, a Santa Cruz oceanview home should definitely be on your short list. But the health and mental wellness of your family is not the only reason to maximize the use of natural lighting in your home. There are a number of economic and energy saving reasons to as well. Smart use of various ways to gather and spread natural light throughout your home can reduce your heating and cooling costs, and the need for artificial light. Santa Cruz ocean view homes are a great example of how homes can use this natural resource. They have a lot of windows to let in as much natural light as possible, and of course the oceanview. If you decide that you want to transform your home with the softness of sunlight instead of the harshness of artificial light, there are a few easy changes and additions that you can make. Remember, these are just a few examples. For more ideas, check out Discovery Magazines Planet Green website, planetgreen.discovery.com. Using Windows to Harness Natural Light and Energy The first and perhaps most common methods of letting natural light into your home are through the use of windows. Many homes, especially those that were designed with daylight in mind, have the windows placed strategically to maximize the use of sunlight. It's up to the home owner to make the most of these windows, and there are a number of really easy ways to do just that. First, keep the windows clean. Believe it or not, a dirty window can prevent about a 1/3 of the available sunlight from reaching into your room. A wash with water and vinegar and old newspapers can make them shine. Next, make the most of the window dressings available on the market today. Blinds can allow you to control the amount of light that enters the room, and sheer curtains can offer a softening of the light when direct sunlight is a bit too harsh. Tubular Skylights: A Great Way to Transform Roof Top Sun to Living Room Light Another way that natural light can be used to bring down your electric bill is through the use of tubular skylights, commonly called Solar Tubes or Sun Tunnels. These can be installed in most homes, and provide a great way to bring soft sunlight into your home. Tubular skylights use no energy; they simply allow sunlight to travel from the roof to the inside of the house. Light is collected at the roof mounted clear dome, and is reflected through a coated metal tube to a diffuser lens located in the ceiling. They can be easily installed in just about every situation, and a number of devices are designed with flexible tubing, so installation can be made around immovable objects. In fact, these solar tubes can even be routed through walled-in boxes to add some welcomed natural light to a basement or first floor of your home. If you're thinking that these small tubes of metal and glass won't be able to bring much light into your room, you'd be surprised. A single device has the potential to light a space of between 100 and 600 square feet depending on the size. The size ranges between 10 and 22 inches in diameter. The size, as well as daily cloud cover, and relative position on the roof all contribute to the amount of light that enters into your home. Similar to tubular skylights, normal skylights can be a great way to bring natural light into your home. They can also provide that unexpected splash of light and warmth in rooms where a large window isn't really practical. Rooms like a bathroom or even a pantry can be brightened by a skylight. How These Additions Can Help Your Bottom Line Tubular skylights and skylights can bring a substantial amount of light into any home and room. Why turn on the tabletop lamp if there is soft sunlight coming through the window? Windows readily conduct heat energy, passing light from room to room in your home. This transfer of energy reduces the cost of heating and cooling your home. For example, light and heat gained through eastern and northern windows can be used to heat the associated rooms in the morning, and as the sun moves, those same rooms can be cooled by the shade left behind by the moving sun. The light and heat in these rooms lit by the morning sun can be transferred to other rooms through the use of interior windows, reflective mirrors, and even glazed tiles. By learning to adapt your home to the shifting rays of the sun, it is possible to reduce your energy costs by almost 30%. These are just a few of the ways that natural light can be harnessed and used to enhance your home. The correct use of windows, installation of tubular skylights, and the transference of energy and light throughout the home can easily reduce the overall energy costs of your home.
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