As our world heats up, cooling costs increase. Installing VELUX® solar venting skylights is a great way to help decrease the costs of cooling your home.
Our innovative VELUX® skylights let in all the sunlight and fresh air you want, without letting in the rain, summer heat and harmful UV rays you don’t.
As heavier, cooler air flows in through the windows, it pushes lighter, warmer air out through the skylights above. When placed all throughout the home, this can significantly cool a house, even during the hot summer months without running so much A/C.
Solar-powered skylights can be programmed to open and close. Helping you control air quality and heat. Opening regular windows and skylights create what’s known as the “chimney effect”, pushing lighter, warmer out through the skylights as cooler air flows through the windows.
Plus, since the skylights are solar-powered there are no energy costs! Our venting skylights qualify the entire purchase–parts and labor—for a 26% tax credit!
We’ve all heard the term: Winter Blues, Seasonal Affective Disorder…whatever you call it, there is a direct link between the colder, darker months of winter and the gory of summer in all her fancy finery. During the winter, a lot of us get stuck indoors at home and work. The real culprit? Lack of sunlight! Although Colorado is blessed with sunshine all year round, the shorter days of winter and cloudy, snowy weather still contribute to this feeling of sadness and a yearning to get outside.
So what can you do to lift your spirits? Studies have shown that natural, full-spectrum sunlight greatly contributes to increased productivity in the workplace and an overall feeling of well-being at home. By bringing natural light from the sun into your house or home office, a VELUX Skylight or Sun Tunnel can help you beat these depressing feelings and emotions.
One more thing that will help you feel better? Knowing that all Go Solar Skylight and Sun Tunnel products allow you to claim a 26% tax credit at the end of the year! Follow the link to find out how tax credits work and how you can lighten up your home and your tax bill: https://www.veluxusa.com/go-solar
Skylights don’t just look great, they’re good for the planet!
Home heating costs contribute 8% of the carbon pollution in industrialized nations! That’s a lot of carbon footprint, second only to cars and the trucking industry. The good news is innovative technologies and research are helping homeowners do their own part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. The even better news is that you don’t have to wait for miracle solutions to come along, there are small things you can do right now to reduce your own carbon footprint and save you money in the process.
Obviously, skylights provide natural light for your home, decreasing your overall energy costs. Both traditional skylights and tubular skylights are an excellent way to lighten up the dark places in your home and reduce the need to “flip the switch”.
But there’s better news! New research into Passive Solar Heating indicates that installing traditional skylights in your home reduces your need to tap into fossil fuels to heat your home. Here in the mountain west, Passive Solar Heating can’t take over for our traditional heating methods, but it can cut heating costs.
What’s Passive Solar Heating?
Passive Solar Heating is that warm feeling you get when you stand next to a sunny window. When skylights are installed on the south-facing side of a roof, you can take advantage of the heat exchange which comes from those sun-filled windows, particularly in Colorado where we are blessed with plenty of sunshine even in the winter. Homeowners can take advantage of this heat gain even further with the installation of a simple ceiling fan.
Won’t this make my house too warm in the summer?
While it’s true that heat will continue to accumulate in the summer, Heinsight Solutions offers several options to manage interior climate controls. We offer solar-powered and manual venting skylights which can be used to allow extra summer heat to escape from the home. The solar-powered skylights can be activated using a remote control or the Velux Active System phone app. With this wonderful and handy app, you can program your skylights to vent or close at certain hours of the day or when the exterior temperature and weather and interior conditions warrant. They have an acoustic rain sensor that will automatically close the skylight when it rains and a venting feature to release heat when needed. You can also operate your skylights from anywhere that you have phone or internet service.
Another excellent feature of our Velux Skylights is the factory installed blind options. Solar blinds can be activated using the same remote control or Active System app to open and close as needed and can be programmed to close during the hottest time of the day. We offer two styles—light filtering blinds that allow some light to enter the room even when closed, which is great for a kitchen, laundry room, or bathroom, and room darkening blinds that block out approximately 90% of the sunlight and are perfect for bedrooms and living rooms where the light interferes with sleep or casts a glare on your TV or computer monitor. The blinds come in over 100 style and color choices so you can customize their look to match your home décor. See your style options here: https://www.veluxusa.com/products/blinds
What else can I do to reduce my carbon footprint?
Heinsight Solutions is a company dedicated to providing low-cost energy saving products and services. We offer attic insulation which helps keep the attic space cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter and having us insulate the area during a skylight or Sun Tunnel installation is an easy way to reduce heat gain and loss.
The Little Green Machine solar attic vent is one more item in our energy saving toolbox. This is a simple to install, low-cost way to help release the build-up of hot air inside the attic during hot weather. Utilizing solar power instead of electricity, this handy addition can not only save on cooling costs, but it costs nothing to run thanks to its self-contained solar panel.
Solar Night Lights are installed inside the tubular Sun Tunnel skylights. These handy lights collect energy during the day and turn on automatically once the sun sets to provide low light, which is great for bathrooms and hallways.
Are there any incentives for installing skylights or Sun Tunnels?
The federal government offers homeowners a 26% tax credit for all solar products through the end of 2022. This means that the tax credit applies to the entire installation including labor, not just for the product itself. Provided the homeowner lives in the home for at least 50% of the year, and the product includes a solar energy feature, you can claim this credit at the end of the year. Heinsight Solutions provides you with all the necessary paperwork needed for your end of the year tax filing process. Installing Skylights and other energy saving products in your home is a win-win win—the environment through reduction of heating costs, savings in electric lighting needs, and the satisfaction of having contributed to the reduction of carbon emissions while being able to enjoy the excellent views, added daylight, and aesthetic beauty of new skylights or Sun Tunnels.
As we move into the Summer months, storm damage from hail, wind, and heavy rain can become a major concern. While new VELUX skylights and Sun Tunnels are built to stand up to many types of severe weather, older skylights, from any brand, are not always so resilient. If you experience a break or a leak in your skylight, the project can feel daunting from the beginning. Here are a few tips to make sure you are in good hands while dealing with storm damage.
Stay Calm – If you notice a leak in your skylight or Sun Tunnel during a storm, your first instinct may be to rush onto the roof and get it covered. In the middle of a storm, this can be dangerous and could even provoke further leak issues. Instead, take a deep breath, place a bucket under the area where the leak is most prominent, and check on it periodically to see if it needs to be emptied. It may be helpful to research a few local contractors while you wait out the storm, so you know who to call when you are ready to have someone assess the damage.
Shop local – When a big storm moves in, often storm chasers come with it. While working with a nomadic business does not necessarily mean the work will be low quality, it does mean that the contractor will be more difficult to get ahold of if future issues occur. Working with a local business ensures that warranties will be honored, and you will have access to the business for follow ups, service calls, and future work. VELUX offers an installer locator, which can help you find a local contractor that is backed by the VELUX guarantee. Remember to always check reviews, and ask around for recommendations!
Get multiple estimates – While a sense of urgency is to be expected, going with the first estimate you get may mean you do not have all of the information to move forward. This is especially true if your estimate does not come from a skylight specialist. Even though finding a reputable contractor can take some time, it is well worth the wait, to ensure that your skylights are replaced by someone who knows what they are doing, and will keep you in the loop on the project. One person you shouldn’t forget to call is your insurance agent. Often, storm damage is covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy. This could mean the difference between paying out of pocket, and having all of the repairs covered!
Coordinate roof damage – Generally, a storm that breaks through your skylight will also cause significant damage to your roof. Since the most cost-efficient time to replace your skylights is during re-roof, coordinating these two projects can save you money and offer coinciding warranties. Often, a roofing contractor will contact a local skylight company, and set up the installation themselves, which can save you the trouble of coordinating both jobs. Informing your roofer that you would like both projects completed at the same time will ensure that the skylights are not skipped over.
Be proactive – When you choose a contractor to work with, they can help you put a plan in place to make sure that you are prepared to deal with the next storm that moves in. If you are in an area that is prone to golf-ball sized hail, consider adding impact glass to your skylights or Sun Tunnels. If you are concerned about future leaks, ask about the VELUX no-leak guarantee. Equipping your skylights for the next storm will leave you feel peaceful and prepared.
Installing a skylight can be an intimidating process, if you haven’t given it a lot of thought. Part of our job at Heinsight Solutions is to help you see the end result of the project before it has even begun! Below are several of our favorite ways that a skylight can improve your life!
Cut down on energy costs
Skylights and Sun Tunnels will reduce the number of times you need to turn on the lights during the day. Even on the cloudiest days, natural light will stream in through your skylight and reduce the need for electricity. Installing a skylight that opens will also cut down on air conditioning costs, by improving circulation and ventilation in the house!
Bring in fresh air
Speaking of ventilation, skylights that open ensure that even on the days when you simply cannot leave the house, you are breathing some fresh outdoor air. This doubles as a safety feature! If there is smoke inside of the home – just open the skylights up to help get the smoke out.
File for tax credits
Starting in May of 2018, there will be a tax credit option for almost every VELUX skylight or Sun Tunnel option. So, while your solar powered skylight is paying itself off with energy savings, you will be reaping the benefits of a credit on your federal taxes for 30% of the cost of the job! Whether it’s a solar powered skylight, blinds, or a night light for your Sun Tunnel, we can make sure that we save you every penny with tax credits!
Soak up the natural daylight
Ok, this one seems obvious. But did you know that natural daylight can help to eliminate depressive symptoms? We’re not doctors, but we think this is a pretty excellent unintended side effect of home improvement! This benefit extends to your adorable pets, who love to bask in the sunlight.
Open up those small rooms
Some rooms just never seem big enough. Modern home builders are adding extra windows to make the space appear larger, and we recommend this on your fifth wall (in other words, your ceiling) too! A skylight will make the ceiling seem higher and brighter, while a Sun Tunnel carry light into the corners of the room that are not reached by lamp light.
Increase the value of your home
Even if you’re not in your forever-home, yet, adding skylights to your current house is a wise design idea, for the simple fact that it raises the curb-appeal and value of your home. A skylight installed by a competent contractor can bring in modern home buyers that are looking for move-in ready homes.
