Coastal Transformation

There is nothing more glorious than a room filled with sunlight.

Natural light seems to bring out the beauty, and indeed color, of everything it touches. When it fills our homes, it brings with it a sense of freshness, vitality and even makes us healthier.

Research has shown that:

1. Employees working in natural light recorded higher levels of energy and productivity than those working under artificial light.

2. Natural light can lower the risk of nearsightedness in children and young adults by helping the eye produce dopamine, which aids in healthy eye development.

3. Exposure to sunlight, especially early in the morning for at least half an hour, increases your chances of a good night’s sleep.

4. Sunlight helps the body produce the “happy” hormone serotonin which combats a type of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

5. Rooms with ample sunlight have been shown to help hospital patients heal faster after surgical procedures

6. Sunlight in the classroom has been shown to have a positive impact on student test scores.

But the benefits of natural light don’t end with your health and mood.

USING NATURAL LIGHT TO REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION

As you’ll read in the infographic below, capitalizing on your home’s natural light can help to reduce your energy bills, saving money and slashing your carbon footprint.

“In a typical building, lighting accounts for 25-40 percent of energy consumption. By allowing more natural light to penetrate and controlling both its light and heat components, the financial savings could be considerable,” Marilyne Andersen, assistant professor Marilyne Andersen of MIT’s Department of Architecture, told ScienceDaily.

Simply letting the sunshine in can drastically reduce those energy costs while delivering all the benefits listed above, but it has to be done thoughtfully. By making small changes to the way you use windows, doors, skylights, mirrors, paint colors and even furnishings, you can take advantage of the free light and energy the sun provides.

Article Source: Care2