The Tribune

By Joshua Key

SuperGreen Solutions

Property owners can spend thousands of dollars on renovations and refurbishments to increase the value of their property. However, there is a much easier and less expensive way to boost the value of a home, office or industrial space: Just add a little daylight.

Daylight has an enormous impact on the look and feel of a property. According to the US Electric Power Research Institute, buildings with a high amount of daylight can generate 10-20 per cent higher rental income than those that only use artificial lights. An independent survey in 1999 by the Building Owners and Managers Association and the Urban Land Institute, entitled ‘What do Tenants Want’, also showed that natural light is a top priority for tenants in commercial properties.

“Natural light enhances the mood of commercial, domestic and industrial properties alike. That’s why properties with bright, sunny rooms and hallways are always considered more valuable than properties that rely on artificial lighting,” said Tatiana González, marketing and communications manager at Solatube, the manufacturer of Australia’s leading tubular skylight. “Unfortunately, many properties aren’t built in a way that allows them to capture daylight.”

Of course, a well-designed skylight is a great way to get natural, healthy light into some buildings. Sometimes, though, a traditional skylight cannot work, or the heat it lets inside is unattractive. What green options do property owners and developers have to get more daylight into those buildings?

One great option is a tubular skylight. Using some of the most reflective material on earth (99.8 per cent reflectivity), these compact units tube daylight from the roof to any room in the building that needs it – no electricity required. Look for superior models that have an energy-efficient sealed design; provide leak proof performance; and have UV treated domes that stand up to strong winds. They should also have an intelligent laser cut dome design, providing the maximum amount of light transfer throughout the day, and double-glazed diffusers to keep our Bahamian tropical heat outside.

Tubular skylights can be used in a wide variety of dark areas in households, such as bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, hallways, cupboards, and living areas. They are also excellent for commercial and industrial properties because of their ability to capture light in places where it previously would not have been possible.

Some tubular skylights can also be combined with natural ventilation products in one versatile unit to achieve a healthy balance of excellent daylight and pure, fresh air. By combining these, a home immediately becomes a more healthy, liveable environment.

Aside from tubular skylights such as Solatube and ODL, there are skylight alternatives such as the Solaro Day. They are masterfully designed to appear just like skylights – giving the sun up, sun down and cloud movement experience.

Skylight alternatives use a solar panel on the roof to provide illumination to a diffuser inside, so that no giant opening in the roof is required. That means these solutions can be installed anywhere and do not cost a penny to operate. They create bright, happy spaces that occupants love.

Want to increase the property value of your home? Want to make your venue more attractive for rent or lease? Just add daylight. Talk with your local energy efficiency expert to see how going green can make you green today.

• NB: Joshua Key is general manager for SuperGreen Solutions Bahamas, located on Wulf Road next to FYP. SuperGreen Solutions leads is an advisor, supplier and installer of domestic and commercial energy efficient solutions.