Eco-Friendly Indoor Lighting: Best Available Options

Until Solar Paint is Prime Time, Here are the Best Options

Depending on how your home is positioned, the amount of natural lighting allowed into your home can directly impact your energy usage related to heating, cooling and lighting. Augmenting indoor lighting can come from a number of eco-friendly sources. Consider your use of blinds, paint, skylights, light bulbs, and outdoor sources to help ensure that your lighting is eco-friendly and provides enough light for your task.

Use Eco-friendly Blinds in Southern Facing Rooms

Southern facing rooms will have the bulk of the day's heat and sunlight. I find having blinds that allow in light, but block out heat are essential in my southern rooms. Blinds are the most eco-friendly tool I have during summer heat. By keeping the blinds pulled and the windows opened throughout the day and evening, I maximize cool airflow and minimize heat absorption. I also used a dark, cool colored (greens and blues) paint to enhance the sense of being cool. Skylights that open and allow air in at night my help reduce the heat, but beware how much light enters because they may bleach your carpet and furniture.

Use of Solar-powered Paint [We Wish]

Sun enters my hardwood floored entryway area to add intense light while the roof helps protect from the worst rays. When current research related to solar-powered painted surfaces become available, the entryway wall might become the best place to install a solar panel to help power our energy needs.

Use Eco-friendly Skylights in Northern Facing Rooms [see photograph 1]

Our darkest room is our kitchen. By adding an eco-friendly skylight in the kitchen, we've minimized the amount of time we have the lights on in the kitchen. Skylights are expensive. We installed ours when we finally had to re-roof our house. Eco-friendly hidden fluorescent lighting in the ceilings allows us to maximize light.

Use Eco-friendly Fluorescent Lighting in Work Areas [see photograph 2]