18 replies to this topic

[Jessi]

Here's a really easy tip for being a little more green:

Just focus on using more natural light.

Go ahead and open your curtains or blinds. Move your desk to the other side of the room closer to the window so you can use natural light more frequently. If you work from home, get up earlier in the day so you can be up and moving during normal lit hours and don't have to have the lights on nonstop. If you get the chance skylights are really awesome, too, but that takes money.

[MakingCents]

This is a good tip, especially if you have energy efficient glass in the windows so that he heat can't get in or the warm air can't get out. In one of our rooms where we haven't replaced the windows yet we need to keep the curtains closed or the sun heats the room up too much :(

[mariaandrea]

I started doing this in the last year and love it. We're on the 3rd floor so there's no privacy issues and the blinds have never been closed. I also put my desk right in front of a big east facing window. I do lower the blinds if the sun is out in the morning, but I don't need a desk lamp until late in the afternoon. We've been using candles a lot lately too, which are pretty and provide plenty of light as long as you aren't reading. It's actually funny that we found we need a lot less light than we thought we did.

[Sandra Piddock]

It's something I've been consciously doing ever since we moved to Spain. Most things are cheaper here, but electricity isn't. I don't use a desk, because I have major circulation issues, and I have to rest my legs a lot. However, my recliner is placed near the patio windows for maximum light, and I also have an LED light on my computer pad which shines on the keyboard, so I can wring every last vestige out of the natural light, even in winter.

[zararina]

I also had been doing that since it also make the temperature cooler to let the window/door open. I could let the door left open since I am living in a compound. I do not need to turn on any lights from morning till afternoon.
And in nights if the TV or the computer was open, I also turn off the lights.

[brihooter]

This is a great idea! We always have all of our blinds open at our house. I do not use any lights in the day time. Thankfully we have enough windows to not need to use light!

[artistry]

Natural light is great. I love it when the sun is shining through the window. Especially during the winter, because it is gray outside a lot. Sunlight improves your mood, besides saving you money, by using less electric light. Hooray for the rays of sun. Cheers.

[Jessi]

MakingCents, on 07 February 2012 - 09:34 PM, said:

This is a good tip, especially if you have energy efficient glass in the windows so that he heat can't get in or the warm air can't get out. In one of our rooms where we haven't replaced the windows yet we need to keep the curtains closed or the sun heats the room up too much :(

Ah yes, understandable. At least that means in the wintertime, it's a good use for some extra heat during the hours the sun is high, and you can still use the light, right? Or is it a window that leaks cold air, too? We used to cover ours with clear plastic so it'd hold the cold air out during the winter and keep our heating bill down, but could still leave the curtains open to use the sunlight.

[ShaNichole]

I recently bought a house that had a skylight in the bathroom and now my hubby and I are thinking of adding one in the bedrooms of the house because I find that the natural light is just perfect and it can also bring a certain sense of calm that light bulbs can't.

As far as putting my blinds up, I have to admit, I don't do it very often, but it is something that I will try to integrate into my routine as often as possible.

[brihooter]

I wish we had sklylights in my house. Especially in the bathrooms at least. That would really help. Even though my house has a lot of windows. Neither bathroom has a window! What do you think it would cost to put one in?

[fancyfingers]

We have shutters and blinds on our windows. I adjust them to let in the light, depending where the sun is throughout the day. During the summer, however, everything is closed to help keep the house cool. We do have a few windows (up high) that do not have any window treatment what so ever on them that will let in daylight any time of the year.

[mariaandrea]

For anyone thinking of getting skylights installed, you might want to consider getting a Solatube or 2 instead. Saw them on "Living With Ed" and they're awesome. Cheaper than skylights, faster to install and they let in a lot of light. Check them out:

http://www.solatube....s-skylights.php

[Jessi]

ShaNichole, on 08 February 2012 - 01:26 PM, said:

I find that the natural light is just perfect and it can also bring a certain sense of calm that light bulbs can't.

I couldn't agree more. I hate being stuck in an office or even a store for too long where there's just harsh ceiling lights being used. Natural light has its flaws and it's not always bright enough to light the room or read by, etc, but it always seems so much more relaxing and calm than the overly bright bulbs.

[MakingCents]

Jessi, on 08 February 2012 - 11:47 AM, said:

Ah yes, understandable. At least that means in the wintertime, it's a good use for some extra heat during the hours the sun is high, and you can still use the light, right? Or is it a window that leaks cold air, too? We used to cover ours with clear plastic so it'd hold the cold air out during the winter and keep our heating bill down, but could still leave the curtains open to use the sunlight.

Yeah we use the plastic so in the winter it's perfect. The cold air stays out and the sun makes the room sooo warm. Unfortunately it's the guest bedroom so it's not like we hang out in there too much :P

[Shortpoet-GTD]

brihooter, on 09 February 2012 - 12:03 PM, said:

I wish we had sklylights in my house. Especially in the bathrooms at least. That would really help. Even though my house has a lot of windows. Neither bathroom has a window! What do you think it would cost to put one in?

Check out sky tubes/solar tubes. They're less likely to leak and can be a diy project.

[brihooter]

Thank you Poet! :)

[Shortpoet-GTD]

brihooter, on 10 February 2012 - 01:17 PM, said:

Thank you Poet! :)

Welcome.

[greenking]

I agree. It's very true. Sunlight is the best!

[Alli]

I also adore natural light- having large windows is a major criteria for us when we go apartment hunting. I actually vetoed a really amazing apartment that my partner loved because there was no window in the living room- I knew I would not want to sit in there and work in a room with no natural light.