Saving Energy

I just got this months National Geographic magazine in the mail and wow was I blown away with this article titled "Saving Energy". I have blogged and written a couple of nice presentations about ways to save money, but this really hit home. I am on the right track with my presentations and the suggestions contained therein.
Click the title to read the National Geographic article on the web.

Here are some simple facts from the article:
A gallon of gas adds 19.6 lbs of CO2 to the atmosphere
A Kilowatt-hour of electricity adds an average of 1.5 lbs of CO2
100 cubic feet of natural gas adds 12 lbs of CO2

The average American household produces 150lbs of CO2 a day

We really can save the planet by simply using less or making the most out of what we have by using it more efficiently. If we will commit to changing our life style a little, spending a few dollars to upgrade or replace worn out appliances. Replacing old style light bulbs with CFL's etc. We can reduce our carbon foot print as families and then as a nation. All of the ideas and suggestions presented in the article and my presentations will pay for themselves in time. You spend some now, but you will get it back later as the savings pile up. The real payoff is the reduction you will make to your CO2 output per week, per month and per year.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single small foot step. May we all take small steps toward our goal, each one reducing our CO2 footprint and saving the money to pay for the next step.

Want to add more light, without electricity??

Do you have an interior room that needs more light, but you do not want to use electricity to get that light? No where or way to add windows?

There are 2 alternatives open to you:
Sky light
or
Solar tube
Both are simply a special window on the roof that lets in light.

The Sky Light is a great addition to a large interior room but is needs an attic or vaulted ceiling, with the roof above to work. Sky lights are great for single story buildings or for adding light to a room upstairs. They can be a messy addition, and not always energy friendly. You may need to get a structural engineer involved to add a large sky light and or move the HVAC system in your attic to make room for it. Sky lights can be the standard bubble type or the flat type, they can open for fresh air or even have shades to block light as needed.

The Solar Tube is a great addition to a large interior room, however it does not need much attic space and can be run through a second story closet to light up a first floor room. The solar tube is a shiny metal tube (middle) with a small glass dome at the top and a diffuser (lens) a the bottom. The sun light enters through the dome, reflects on the shiny metal tube, and exits through the diffuser to add the warn glow of natural light to your room. There are add-on kits that can damper the light as needed, allow the venting of fresh air or even have a bulb to allow for light at night. They come in various sizes and depending on the area to be lighted you can have several without much mess. In fact they often only take a few hours to install and the dust and mess are a bare minimum.

Solar tube facts:

• It provides exceptional lighting. The light output is incredible, providing as much light as you would expect from a skylight many times its size.
  It is cost-effective. Tubular Daylighting Devices (AKA TDD) cost considerably less than other daylighting options, such as windows and skylights, including both product and installation costs.
• Installing it is fast, clean and easy. They require no structural reframing, tunneling, drywalling or painting. A professional can install the product in less than two hours.
• It can go almost anywhere. The compact and flexible design of TDDs allow them to be installed in just about any room, including rooms without direct roof access and smaller spaces where daylighting would usually not be an option.
• It is “Green.” TDDs allow you to switch off electric lights during the day, which provides savings on energy bills and also reduces environmental pollution.
• It is actually good for you. It has been shown in several prominent studies that increasing daily exposure to natural light can enhance mental and physical well-being, boost concentration and energy levels and a variety of other unexpected perks.

The best option is which ever one fits your needs and home the best. I have a sky light in the master bath and want to add the tube light in the living room. You may need one or the other, or as in my case both.

Some companies make both sky lights and solar tubes, we install both and have qualified installers for all major brands. We can replace your broken or cracked bubble sky light, or can change it to flat sky light. We can install the solar tube even if there is a 90 degree turn, and still get you that true natural light you need. We are a complete roofing and remodeling company.

Call today for your free estimate and start enjoying natural sun light in your home, like you never thought possible. Rainy Day Construction Services866-596-2030