Posts Tagged Consumption

Skylights are a fantastic addition to any home

Posted by outside_voices on Thursday, 18 February, 2010

 

Skylights are horizontal windows or domes placed at the roof of buildings which are used for illuminating the rooms of a house. Because they are placed in the ceiling or on high places, they let it more sunlight per unit area than windows do. Much like windows, they were a source of ventilation and light before the invention of artificial light. However, as with many things, people are starting to go back to more natural ways of living, and this includes the preference of skylights in order to reduce the consumption of artificial light. This also has the pleasant side effect of cutting down your electricity bills, and anything that can save money these days is more than welcome.

 

A skylight can have many applications if you use it in a clever way. For example, if you have a very old tree that prevents natural sunlight from coming through your window, you can just install a skylight on your ceiling. That way you get the light and to keep the tree. Also, you can install a small tubular skylight just above a closet that’s built into a wall. That way, you can use natural light when selecting your clothes. Natural light will reflect the true colors of your wardrobe, as opposed to artificial light, which tends to make it look a bit more yellowish than it actually is.

 

Since a skylight can also provide ventilation, it’s also a very good option for areas house where you want to get rid of smoke or bad odors, like the kitchen or the bathroom. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the rest of the rooms can’t use the natural ventilation that a skylight provides. In this way, you can control to a certain degree the light and temperature of your house.

 

In addition, a skylight will improve the image of your rooms greatly. Natual sunlight has the quality that it makes any area seem more lively and roomier. If your house is small, a well placed skylight in the living room will give the illusion or space and depth to your guests and visitors.

 

Finally, a skylight is highly customizable. There are many accessories and add-ons that you can buy to improve the efficiency of your skylight. One of the most basic ones is shades, which will give you the privacy you need for your bedrooms. Blinds can also be used, althought they are a bit more expensive. On the other hand, they can darken a room completely, making it easier to rest or sleep.

 

As you can see, a skylight can help you improve your house and rooms, and save on electricity as well. Isn’t that a nice deal?

Learn more about light and solar options for your home

Living Off the Grid?

Posted by outside_voices on Friday, 6 November, 2009

Can you Live Off the Grid?

Living off the grid should become our motto in today’s world. With the high rate of consumption of available non-renewable energy, it becomes more important for us to find out a cost effective as well as determined alternative energy which will never be worn out. The sun is one such source of energy and since we derive life from the sun then why not the power to run our homes?

Solar energy is easily available and that too in huge abundance. Consequently we can very well harness solar energy and bestow it for running our houses at the least. Likewise, this energy will not cause impurity and therefore everyone starting from the environmentalists to us, the wearisome people, will be cheerful. We live off the grid and the environment stands safe at the same time.

Nonetheless, most people think that appliances like AC and fridges do not and cannot run on the mere power of the sun that we will be applying. Many are of the assumption that if you can strip your essentials down to the bare minimum then only you can use solar energy completely. This is not true but you have to have to want to live off the grid to make it bogus.

The magic of renewable sources of energy like the wind or the water or the sun is that no matter what befalls these will always stay till the earth deceases. Likewise you can always produce electricity from these sources in one way or the other. Waterfalls and windmills tackle the power of water and the wind to produce electricity so do not think that you can not live off the grid, nature is more mighty that we think. Basically the energy is stored in batteries and at night these batteries supply the necessary amount of electricity required.

The best part about solar energy is that during the day, you are storing the energy and directly using the sun’s energy. At night when the sun is down you use these batteries which have harnessed the power. This means that you have a double discharge of the power, which is effective and at the same time, cost effective.

Living off the grid is possible; you just have to know how you want to do it and how you will exercise your solar power. Besides, be careful about the storage and livelihood of your power batteries because they are your electricity. Use them well and be sure that you do not demand more than you can be equipped with.

So, use solar power and get rid of those provoking electricity bills. Abandon of energy is a big thing but you should know which alternative energy source will conform you according to your geographical whereabouts. So employ the power of energy efficiently and be spirited of living off the grid.

You can learn more about how to become an independent energy producer at Solar Power Lights visit us now!

Start taking positive steps today fronting your economy and planet and you will be flabbergasted just how things can be bettered and developed.

A. Arvizu