Solar Tubes and Roof vent..... looking at the savings on the electric bill

[ejpoeta]

We were looking at the electric bill. This was the first time we were actually able to look at the month to month comparison to see if there was a difference. Bob was looking at May to June and July to see the difference. But I was really wanting to see July of last year to July of this year to see the difference.

I am not quite sure if this can solely be attributed to the solar tubes and roof vent alone, but I am not sure what other things we did besides those things. We did fix the roof too, but didn't really count that. If we didn't fix the roof, the whole house would have eventually been in bad shape. And from the way the roof looked, it would not have taken long. LOL!

So, year to year comparisons have us at a 300kwh difference. Now we are seriously considering putting the LED lights in. At the very least in the solar tubes because they don't get as hot and we most likely won't need to change them. Then maybe in the dining room where there is a dimmer. I am truly stoked and encouraged to trim some more off the electric bill! Kind of like when I went grocery shopping and saved 40% by using coupons. Gives me such a rush!

[txlibdem]

1. 300kWh is a big savings

Congrats!

If you'd like the extra light on a cloudy day or into the night then I highly recommend the LED lights inside the solar tubes. A friend of mine did and loves it... hardly ever turns on the lights in his kitchen.

[ejpoeta]

2. my husband went and got two LED lights. We are putting them in the solar tubes.

apparently they don't get as hot which bob was worried about. We plan on putting more in one or two at a time where we can as well. And we hardly ever use the lights in those two areas!! yeah!

[txlibdem]

3. That's a great idea, you'll be done with all your bulbs before you know it

Ok, actually it may take some time, depending on how many light fixtures you have but I wanted to say something positive. :-)

One new bulb every month aint gonna break the bank and if you concentrate on the lights you use the most per day you'll see the savings faster.

Welcome to the LED revolution!

[ejpoeta]

4. do it the way we did the CFL bulbs. the outlets we could put them in.

only this way it will be the ones that need it most. Like the solar tubes. then the dining room with the dimmer and the chandelier that still have incandecent bulbs. the only ones left in the house. LOL! mind you, i have many lights with no covers on them. I told the hubby I'd like to put solar tubes in more places eventually too. like the kids rooms. it will be like if we put the puck lights in only better!! but that will be a bit. maybe next year.

[txlibdem]

5. Don't forget the lights the kids are most likely to forget to turn off ;-)

If they're like most kids, they'll walk out of the bathroom or their bedroom and leave the lights on. You've got two choices: install motion sensor-controlled lights that go out a couple of minutes after they no longer detect any motion; or replace those bulbs with LED.

Once you can get the solar tubes in their bedrooms and bathroom(s) that'll be a big help.

[ejpoeta]

6. we put a solar tube in the bathroom and that helped a lot. put one in the kids bathroom

and in the kitchen. we already had a skylight in our bathroom original to the house (built in 1996). Can't put a light in it though. It's an actual skylight. But we love it and have rarely had to turn a light on in that bathroom during the day even on cloudy days. Never realized how much electricity those lights used!! even the CFLs! The kids left the bathroom light on all day. they do that with their bedroom lights too. I am always going in there and turning them off. GRR!! I have thought about the motion sensor lights honestly!!

[txlibdem]

7. That's great use of the solar tubes

Do you see any difference in the amount of light from the skylight versus the solar tubes? I meant, 1. which one brings in more light, and 2. does the skylight make your bathroom feel like a sauna in the summer?

[ejpoeta]

8. The difference is that the solar tubes have a mirrored side that collects the solar light and

makes it brighter so it's like a light. It looks like a light and I often find myself reaching to turn it off. The skylight is very bright but is just like the sun coming through the ceiling. It can be very bright and blinding at times. There are pros and cons to each. It can be a lot brighter at times just because of the sun being directly coming in. It is just like a window on the ceiling. I don't know about it making it hotter... I had never thought about it. I guess it is possible. The solar tubes diffuse the light around the mirror so it isn't so direct. And in the bathroom there is a farther distance from the roof to the ceiling so it is even brighter than in the kitchen.

[txlibdem]

9. Thanks

About the heating from a skylight, if it was happening you'd notice it.

Here in Texas almost nobody uses skylights without an IR and UV coating. Even then they're just not that common because of the torrential rains we get (when it rains, IT RAINS).

IR (infra-red) brings in heat and when the temps outside are reaching 106 the last thing you'd want is more heat. UV (ultra-violet) fades furniture and carpets where the light hits and it also causes skin cancer of course. Based on your post I'd say that your skylight also has those coatings applied to it.

[trud]

10. Ice Blue

Are there LEDs that aren't that ice blue light that's like an ice pick into your brain?

[roody]

11. What brand of solar tubes did you install?