Out With The Old, In With The New Skylight
If you have a skylight already go take a look at it. Go ahead, this will still be here when you get back.
Guess what? It’s probably time for a change! Chances are if you’ve had a skylight for 15 or more years your roof window might not be very “green” anymore. This translates to lost money and lost energy. Even if it still looks like it’s in good shape newer skylights are better in terms of modern technology with increased insulation and energy efficiency.
To reap the green benefits associated with top lighting, it is essential to minimize the heat gain associated with UV penetration, while preserving the conditioned air inside your home. To accomplish these goals, we incorporate argon gas between the insulated panes of all our glass products and use low emissivity coatings (Low-E) to make our products some of the most energy efficient in the industry.
If you’re not quite convinced, maybe this will help: The whole process is easier than you might think. In most cases the update can be done surprisingly quick – in as little as four hours you could have a new skylight. But why stop there? You’ll also gain better insulation, energy savings, and more light. And if you’re replacing a bubble skylight with VELUX® glass you could save up to $200 a year in utility costs!
Now, there are a lot of choices out there too. You could go really fancy and super green with the latest in roof window technology: the VELUX® no-leak solar powered fresh air skylight with automatic rain sensors and a solar panel to recharge the battery – no electricity required! Additional efficiency-enhancing, accessories like solar powered blinds can be added to any skylight to increase the energy saving even more. The solar skylight offers programmable features that allow the homeowner to ventilate their homes by drawing cool air in via windows and releasing hot air out through the skylights. The other benefit of this option is it qualifies for a 30% Federal tax credit.
Other “fresh air” skylight options are the electric or manual opening models; while these don’t qualify for the tax credit, they are energy star rated.
Finally, there is the fixed skylight (these don’t open) for those who prefer something a little more simple, that still offers beautiful skyward views and are also energy star rated.
Really, what can you lose? It’s a fairly easy home improvement that will help with controlling heating, cooling and lighting costs. You benefit, your home value benefits, it’s green and can help you save some green.
Now that you’re convinced that this is a great idea, and you should be, what do you do with the old skylights? Well, your contractor will be take them away, no hassle to you. If you want to keep on the green path why don’t you consider reusing them? One idea: your garden.
