Energy costs form a significant part of your monthly budget. Every time, you turn on a bulb or switch on the fan, the numbers of the electric meter continuously change. And when you turn on your heating systems, the dial on the meter can operate rapidly. So how do you decrease the bills? One solution could be to install a solar panel, but that may be too expensive. Is there any other way? According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the concept of daylighting can reduce your energy consumption, and thereby bring down your bills.
Daylighting is a technique which utilizes openings in your house. Through these comes in a significant amount of natural light and there is no need for any bulbs during the day time. All the openings are covered with light reflecting surfaces and are placed in a strategic manner so that the house is well-lit. Obviously, this will incur expenses, but they are much less than those involved with solar power, which makes it a more feasible choice.
The industry experts widely recommend daylighting because it can be quite beneficial for homeowners. Not only do you save on your costs, daylighting allows you to maintain an acceptable temperature in your home. This can decrease the need for turning on your heating systems.
Daylighting is based on a number of technologies. As seemingly simple as it may seem, that is not so, and a lot of design policies have to be considered if you want to implement this concept in your home. Though most of the materials and devices are already part of your home such as windows and glass, you may need to make use of more components for increase effectiveness.
As an example, in areas where the climates are hot, exterior shading is often employed to decrease head gain and spread natural light in a better way before it enters a building. This is possible by using devices such as louvers, overhangs and light shelves. Glazing materials are used for this purpose; increase the area, and you will be able to enjoy better daylight.
According to a research, daylighting can help you in saving $0.20 per square feet. For large areas, this can accumulate to quite a significant amount. As for energy consumption, daylighting can decrease this by almost 20%.
Source: www.wbdg.org
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