What Is Daylighting and Is It An Option For My Home?
Certain light fixtures are a necessity in the home. However, many homeowners are looking for ways to cut costs or just be ‘greener’ and more eco-friendly while also reducing their electricity consumption. Daylighting is one option that could do it all: save money, reduce electricity consumption and allow the homeowner to be more eco-friendly; all without having to install additional or new light fixtures.
What Is Daylighting?
Daylighting is an environmentally friendly way of lighting a space using natural day light rather than a number of different light fixtures. It specifically brings indirect natural light into a large or small space, reducing the need for electrical ceiling fixtures or other sources of artificial light, such as lamps or track lights.
How Do I Use The Daylighting Technique In My Own Home?
Most people hear the term ‘daylighting’ and assume it simply means installing skylights in the ceiling. However, skylights are just one small portion of daylighting. Other ways to bring natural light into a space in the daylighting technique include light reflectors, sun shades, sun screens and light shelves, all of which work together to direct or reflect additional natural light into a space during the day.
Light shelves are reflective surfaces that are placed along a wall on the interior of the building. Their goal is to reflect additional natural light upward around the building; thus producing additional natural light for the interior space in the same way that lamps and mirrors work together in the evening to produce additional artificial light into the space. Light reflectors work in a similar fashion, except they are installed outdoors and aimed in a way so that light is directed into the building rather than just being wasted. Meanwhile, sunscreens and sunshades work to control heat and glare while still maintaining maximum allowance of daylight into the space.
Daylighting should be combined with a combination or series of light fixtures to maintain an even amount of light throughout the entire day. A lighting professional can work with the homeowner (or perhaps, business owner) to create an electrical system in which artificial sources of light (lamps, track lights, ceiling fixtures and so forth) turn on and adjust throughout the day as the amount of daylight available changes. An electrical system can be especially beneficial during rainy, cloudy or dark wintery days when less natural light is readily available.
These electrical systems can even be programed to work on a timed schedule. For example, in the early hours of the day, more light fixtures may be in use and as the day goes on, the electrical system shuts these light fixtures off in favor of natural daylight. As noted earlier, some electrical systems are equipped with sensors and may be able to alter their timed schedule if the lighting is inadequate and additional lighting is needed.
Daylighting is a great way to save money and be eco-friendly, so it’s a great option for homeowners and business owners alike. It can also be easily taken advantage of during a remodel or even installed in an existing space for a modest cost. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
Looking for greener ways to incorporate lighting into your home? Check our wonderful inventory of eco-friendly light fixtures today!
Tags: Ceiling Lights, Lamps, Light Fixtures, Lighting Fixtures, Outdoor Lighting, track lighting
