Skylights Can Provide Natural Ventilation As Well As Light

FORT MILL, SC, November 25, 2010 (Press-News.org) Homeowners striving to conserve and save money due to the rising cost of energy for heating and cooling may risk going too far for their own good.

Sealing door and window spaces, adding insulation, and implementing other home "tightening" measures is a wise decision in one sense, but the practice can lower air exchange rates and, if carried too far, can have health implications. State and federal energy codes that require tighter building, while well-intentioned, can also add to the problem with the resulting indoor air quality oftentimes being less healthy than outdoor air. And the green building movement, which advocates more insulation and thicker vapor barriers, can compound the problem further while rightfully advocating energy efficiency.

Joe Patrick, who heads national product management for skylight manufacturer VELUX America, says that homes have to "breathe" to be healthy. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as dust or allergens can build up in tightly sealed spaces," Patrick says, "and cause problems, especially for the very young, the elderly, or those with asthma or other respiratory issues."

According to Green Builder Magazine, the Environmental Protection Agency considers indoor pollution to be one of the top-five public health concerns. Mechanical ventilation systems are one answer but they can be expensive to install and to operate.

Experts suggest homeowners utilize a whole-house ventilation strategy employing a combination of mechanical and passive methods that strike a balance between energy efficiency and safety.

The World Health Organization (WHO) points out that individuals can take simple actions, such as ensuring adequate ventilation, to protect their health. WHO is particularly concerned about homeowner exposure to Radon, a natural radioactive gas that emanates from soil into the air.

Patrick says that a part of the solution can be manual or electric venting skylights. "They open to passively exhaust VOCs, along with hot, moist, or stale air from kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and other areas of the home," he says, "and the natural chimney effect of a venting skylight will exhaust air as it rises and remove it from the home silently with no energy use by fans." Patrick adds that modern skylights make one of the biggest concerns of homeowners - the fear of leaks - a thing of the past. "Quality units offer matched, pre-engineered flashing kits for shingles, tile or metal roofing materials," he says. "They are designed and engineered to prevent leaks over the full life of a roof and, properly installed, simply don't leak." 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."

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 points out. Solar blinds are also available that qualify for a 30 percent federal tax credit.

"And energy efficient low-E glazings offer protection against solar heat gain, resist condensation twice as long as clear glass, and protect interiors by reflecting the vast majority of the sun's fade-causing rays," he 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.

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