What are the Benefits of Sunlight and Skylights?

Sunlight has a direct positive impact on our body and psyche, increasing the production of vitamin D through the skin and boosting the production of serotonin. This can help to elevate our moods and increase energy levels. During winter, particularly in northern climates, shorter days lead to a lack of exposure to sunlight, which can result in Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD) and a state of low moods and energy.

Health Benefits of Skylights and Sun Tunnels: Skylights and Sun Tunnels can help to pass on to us the benefits of sunlight while we are inside our homes. Skylights have been in use for centuries around the world, essentially creating a “window” in a roof. Sun Tunnels are a more recent innovative technological development from Velux Company offering light through a tubular tunnel. Both serve the same purpose, which is to extend the reach of sunlight, and help it to penetrate into our rooms. Sun Tunnels offer a less expensive alternative to a regular skylight installation and work well in the truss roof construction of the past 30 – 40 years. Skylights have been the traditional way of lighting our homes with natural daylight, when installed in a large opening on a roof. The amount of natural light that a skylight allows is up to 5 times more than that of a typical wall window of the same size. Sunlight is full-spectrum light and is better for our eyes, body, and mind than the artificial light from bulbs and tubes.

Saving Energy with Skylights and Sun Tunnels: Sun Tunnels and skylights provide natural daylight so we can minimize our use of artificial electrical lights. Comparing a Sun Tunnel with an incandescent light, sunlight through a 14” Sun Tunnel is equivalent to a 461 watts electric bulb light. Even on cloudy days, a 10” Sun Tunnel would give no less than 100 watts of sunlight. The increased amount of sunlight through skylights and Sun Tunnels also benefit warehouses and manufacturing plants, by lessening need for fluorescent lighting during daylight hours. The employees also experience reduction in eyestrain during precision manufacturing procedures, and thus the quality of workmanship is improved. The benefits of sunlight that skylights and Sun Tunnel provide are countless. The enormous amount of sunlight that is delivered through them plays a crucial role in improving our way of living, and demonstrates an effective use for the powers of nature.