More Natural Light Used In Green Remodeling

FORT MILL, SC, November 25, 2010 (Press-News.org) Green building is by no means confined just to new construction. Consumers also want their remodeling projects green according to research by the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) Remodelers.

"The only way to bring green into 120 million existing households is through remodeling," past NAHB Remodelers Chair Mike Nagel, CGR, CAPS, a remodeler from Chicago, said in an Association release.

And the U.S. Green Building Council cites a McGraw-Hill report that tracked a growing market for green homebuilding and green renovations as far back as 2007.

Many remodelers today say that their clients are expressing even more interest in options and upgrades that address indoor air quality and energy efficiency.

Joe Patrick, who heads national product management for VELUX America, says that kitchens and bathrooms, always high on homeowner remodeling lists, are logical candidates for natural lighting and passive ventilation upgrades. "They, along with laundry rooms, have higher moisture and humidity levels than other areas of the home and are among the most popular locations for venting skylights. And more natural light is always welcomed where clothes are being sorted by color," he says.

Patrick says that energy-efficient skylights are being utilized to a greater degree in remodeling, as well as in new construction, to provide more natural light and ventilation. He points out that today's modern skylights are as dependable as top quality windows and are no longer prone to leaks, a problem often associated with earlier plastic bubble skylights or lesser quality poorly installed glass units.

In fact, Patrick's company has introduced a new ENERGY STAR@ qualified product line, marketing it as the No Leak Skylight. "These units offer many new energy saving features plus three layers of water protection and are fully warranted," he says. "They also carry an industry-first ten-year installation warranty in addition to product coverage. Homeowners no longer need be concerned about leaking skylights."

Patrick says that the growing availability of trained and certified skylight installation specialists also adds to the dependability of modern skylights.

And he points out that today's skylights contribute to energy efficiency with light and heat control as much as with ventilation by offering easily installed accessories to adjust and control light, as do vertical windows. "Venetian blinds are available to adjust light, as are roller blinds to diffuse light and blackout blinds to block light," he says, "and the accessories, as well as the units themselves, can be operated by remote control." Solar blinds are also available that qualify for a 30 percent federal tax credit.

"ENERGY STAR qualified skylights, in concert with vertical windows, can cost-effectively provide better natural lighting in all areas of the home, helping to reduce power bills," he says. "And venting skylights remove stale, heated air quickly and quietly with no added energy costs. Plus," Patrick says, "remodeling dollars spent in kitchens and baths bring the best return on your investment for personal use as well as when you're ready to sell."

In areas where traditional skylights aren't needed or won't fit, VELUX SUN TUNNEL skylights can bring passive natural light into hallways, closets, interior baths and other small, as well as larger, areas of the home. Less expensive in many cases than traditional skylights, but also ENERGY STAR qualified, they can be installed by a professional or by an experienced DIYer and are used extensively in areas of the home where a view to the outside is not required but more natural light is desired.

Optional light kits turn these units into 24-hour sources of light and some "super efficient" models meet the federal government's energy efficiency criteria, qualifying them for federal tax credits of up to 30 percent of the purchase and installation cost.

And more natural light isn't the only growing trend in green remodeling. Advances in technology, coupled with rising energy prices, is resulting in more interest in solar water heating systems when green-minded homeowners upgrade, and in new construction, as well. "It's yet another green use of an unlimited resource, the energy from the sun," Patrick says.

For skylight selection or installation information visit www.veluxusa.com. For government information on window and skylight energy efficiency visit www.energystar.gov, and for independent agency information visit www.nfrc.org or www.efficientwindows.org.

The U. S. Green Building Council, at www.greenhomeguide.org, references The 2007 McGraw-Hill Construction SmartMarket Report on Attitudes & Preferences for Remodeling and Buying Green Homes.

Media Information: For natural lighting/daylighting and solar water heating feature material, case histories and background information, news releases, press kits and images visit the press room/media area at www.veluxusa.com. Social media links for VELUX are www.facebook.com/veluxamerica and http://twitter.com/veluxamerica.

Media Contact:
Keith Hobbs - Business Services Associates, Inc. - 9413 Greenfield Drive - Raleigh, NC 27615-2306 - Phone - 919.844.0064 - E-mail - khobbs@nc.rr.com