There are, for example, so-called "daylighting" technologies that introduce sunlight into dark parts of a house. Daylighting systems include a light-capturing dome on a home's roof, a reflective tube that runs into the house and a translucent panel installed in the ceiling of a room or hallway.
Daylighting can not only brighten a dark home - it can help reduce a household's energy use. And because of the energy consumption-reduction potential of daylighting systems, some of them qualify for federal tax rebates of up to 30 percent.
Those rebates are only available until year-end, though, so homeowners thinking about installing daylighting technology may want to act soon.
Even if a homeowner opts not to go for daylighting, there are ways of making the inside of a house brighter and lessening the need for artificial lighting during the day. Simply cleaning a home's windows can make a huge difference; installing lighter-colored blinds or drapes can also have a brightening effect. And painting rooms a lighter color can make a room feel brighter, even if the light level remains constant.
Looking outside the home is essential, too. A sunny yard presents opportunities for cost savings; by replacing grass with fruit or vegetable gardens, a household can produce its own fresh food and spend less at the supermarket. Fruit and vegetables are often expensive, so growing one's own food can lead to real savings.
And if a home has a sunny yard with sufficient space, hanging clothes out to dry is a smart move. Clothes dryers use a significant amount of energy, and the less a household relies on the dryer, the less it will spend. The sun dries clothes for free, with zero carbon emissions - so there's little reason not to harness it when doing laundry.
Solar power can be a great investment for homeowners concerned about the environment, their budget or both. There are plenty of other cost-saving benefits the sun can provide, too.
