Bring in Natural Light with Skylights

Getting skylights installed in your home not only looks nice, it can also be a great way to save energy helping both the environment and your wallet. As your local Ann Arbor roofing company, Roof Advance has years of experience installing these eco-friendly windows. Here are three reasons you should consider investing in skylights.

Free lighting

Most people want to soak up as much sunlight as they can get, especially here in the North where winter days are short. Windows are great for bringing the light inside and skylights are even better since they are in the roof where the sun shines more directly. Utilizing natural light also cuts down on your energy usage and costs because you can turn off the lights when the sun is out. Energy.gov reports that with the use of developments like open-sided cylinders, large lenses and mirrored reflectors installed across from the skylights you are able to maximize the light without gaining so much heat during the day for those hot summer months or losing heat during those cold winter nights.

Ventilation in summer

In the heat of summer, it is nice to be able to cool off your house without running the air conditioner all the time and skylights can assist in this. Since heat rises, being able to open up a window in your ceiling allows it to escape directly. According to Energy.gov there are several systems for opening skylights including poles, chains and cranks and some even have moisture detectors that automatically close the skylight if it starts raining.

Passive heat in winter

Another benefit to skylights is that when installed correctly they can provide passive heat in the winter by allowing more sunlight in. In order to achieve this, however, you must make sure the angle the skylight is installed at is precise so that it allows the most amount of winter sun in while blocking more direct summer sun. Green Building Advisor notes that they should be installed at a slope that equals the location’s latitude plus 5 to 15 degrees for maximum benefit. The direction the skylight faces also matters according to Energy.gov. North-facing ones will provide constant light but keep things cool while those toward the south will allow for optimal passive heat in the winter but could be a problem in the summer. East-facing skylights provide more light and heat in the morning while those on the west side will work better in the afternoon.