Daylighting, the practice of capturing natural light to illuminate the interior of buildings is a simple, smart and yes, even cool solution for drastically reducing energy costs.

Today’s technologically advanced yet easy-to-install and maintain daylighting systems capture and diffuse natural light, even on cloudy days, and can help prevent heat from escaping in the winter and entering in the summer. They also can be integrated with electric light systems to ensure a constant level of light.

It’s smart. In a typical building, lighting can account for 25 to 40 percent of energy use. Daylighting has been shown to reduce lighting energy usage by 40 to 60 percent. The addition of daylighting also can potentially increase the market value of your building.

It’s cool. Daylighting produces significantly less heat than conventional lights, which translates to reduced cooling costs. Not to mention that it’s a whole other kind of cool to do something good for the environment.

It works. While the biggest benefit of daylighting is the significant amount you’ll save on electricity, it brings other advantages as well. The introduction of natural light into workspaces has been shown to positively impact the health and wellbeing of workers, leading to higher productivity.

With its proven track record of energy savings for both existing and new buildings, daylighting is a simple solution that delivers great financial and environmental returns.