Love, Light, and New Beginnings

Only Thing Better Than a Skylight is This Pumpkin Custard

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget  that the highest appreciation is not to utter words,  but to live by them. -John Fitzgerald Kennedy We hope you have many things to be grateful for this Thanksgiving season: a warm home, bountiful food, and good company among them! Below we have shared one of our favorite recipes for the holidays.   Holiday Hours Monday and Tuesday: 10 am to 4 pm Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: Closed We will be open again for our regular hours starting November 30, 2015. Pumpkin Pie Custard Recipe from Sugarfreemom.com, by Brenda Bennett Ingredients: 1 can (15 ounce) pumpkin puree 1/2 cup heavy cream 4 beaten eggs 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice 1 teaspoon vanilla liquid stevia Optional toppings: dairy free whipped cream, nutmeg Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Spray 6 ramekins or custard cups with olive oil cooking spray. 3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, mix together pumpkin, cream, eggs, spices, and stevia. 4. Pour evenly into ramekins. 5. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a knife in center comes out clean. 6. Best served cold.  7. Invert onto a plate or serve from dish. 8. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg!  Happy Thanksgiving! from the Naturalight Solar Team

Skylight Transformation

Someone took a gallon of tar to this old leaky skylight, but couldn't solve the problem. Naturalight Solar solved their old, leaky skylight issues by installing a VELUX Solar Fresh Air Skylight with a solar blind. When we left, the owners were having a great time using their remote to make the shade go up and down.

Before:

After:

Are Your Skylights Ready for El Nino?

Don't let this be your skylight this winter. 

"Long-range model forecasts from NOAA, the U.K. Met Office, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology, and the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, among others, all suggest the current El Niño is not only a virtual lock to be strong, but may eventually rival the strongest in modern records dating to 1950." ~Jon Erdman, Weather Underground News 

What can you do to make sure your skylights are weather-proof?

1. Check existing flashings, clean away debris, and make sure weep holes are clear; make sure curb mounted skylights are fastened down so they can't blow off in a wind storm. 
2. Can't get on your roof? Call Naturalight Solar to schedule a Performance Check of your tubes, skylight, and other roof flashings.
3. Replace plastic bubble skylights with glass skylights that meet California's Energy Code, have a 10 year warranty, and greater ability to withstand impact from tree branches. 
4. Don't wait to check your skylights! - standard sizes take one week from order to delivery, but custom sizes take three to four weeks. 

Replace your old skylights when you re-roof for optimal waterproofing and roof longevity.

Customer Stories: What Your Contractor Forgot to Tell You

        After getting an estimate from Naturalight Solar, Dottie, a Napa County resident, decided to purchase a VELUX SUN TUNNEL from Home Depot and hired her contractor for the installation, thinking this route would be cheaper. After making the purchase at Home Depot and scheduling the install, her contractor informed her that she would also need to hire a roofer to install the flashing and dome on the roof.
        Dottie told us this ended up making the project more expensive than Naturalight's estimate. Now she tells everyone to use Naturalight Solar for their skylight needs - she wishes she had.

        Naturalight Solar has 30 years experience installing tubular and traditional skylights, and we stand behind our work and our products with a 10 year warranty. We aim to keep our customers happy with the finest skylight systems, remodeling services, and other energy saving products in the world. Our installers have completed a rigorous training program to assist you with choosing the right products for your needs.

~ ~ ~

When you choose Naturalight Solar, you will receive:

Expert Advice

Careful and Professional Installation

An Easy and Enjoyable Experience 

~ ~ ~

Sonoma County Residents Can Make a Difference

Center for Climate Protection - Tracking Sonoma County's Progress
In 2014, Sonoma County reduced its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 14% from 2007. Ann Hancock, Executive Director of the Center for Climate Protection said, “It’s too soon to tell if this is a trend we can count on, but we believe that we’re bringing emissions down in a real and hopefully accelerating way.” Sonoma County aims to reduce GHG emissions to 25% below 1990 levels. “In 2005, Sonoma County  and all nine of its cities pledged by resolution to achieve this goal, which corresponds to what is known scientifically as atmospheric carbon stabilization, the imperative for a life-sustaining climate.” 

What Can You Do to Reduce GHG Emissions?
In addition to transitioning to Sonoma Clean Power, electric vehicles, and SMART Train, you can use skylights in your home for daylight and ventilation. Using skylights for light not only improves the quality of your indoor spaces, it also reduces electric light use. And an operable skylight allows for ventilation, releasing hot air build up and reducing the need for air conditioning.
VELUX glass skylights are a great step towards energy efficiency and reducing GHG emissions.

“Reducing GHG emissions…is about public health, energy scrutiny, economic vitality, and ultimately, human survival.” Read the entire article and check out the GHG emissions report for Sonoma County by visiting the Center for Climate Protection. 

VELUX Skylights and Roof Windows Increase Room Space

One of our customers recently sent us this email about how Naturalight Solar, Inc. helped him open up a room in his house with a low, oppressive ceiling.

"We needed to re-roof our house and decided that it was time to replace the old, fixed skylights with operable ones to make the upstairs guest bedroom less claustrophobic. We were unable to find stock windows to fit the existing openings, and one custom skylight company offered to make them to fit, but warned that they’d probably be too heavy to open. Naturalight Solar came out to the house and came up with a great solution, the VELUX Roof Window. With minimal carpentry we were able to change the rough opening to fit a stock size. The windows were installed without difficulty, and I was able to install the blinds and insect screens myself. Now, instead of feeling closed in by the slanted roof line, one can stand under an open window and enjoy the view. Naturalight’s knowledge and professionalism were gratefully appreciated, and the VELUX skylight quality is outstanding." 
                                                                                                 ~Marc S., Email from client

Honoring Our Nation's Strength... Happy Fourth of July!

Naturalight Solar is celebrating Fourth of July this year by giving Armed Forces and Veterans a discount on VELUX SUN TUNNEL Skylight Installations:

Install 3 tubes and get $120 discount
Install 2 tubes and get $75 discount
Install 1 tube and get $30 discount

Call 707.527.5330 or send an email to info@naturalight.org
to schedule your SUN TUNNEL Skylight installation.
 

*This offer is valid for SUN TUNNEL skylights purchased by July 6, 2015.
*This discount only applies to purchases after June 26, 2015. 

A Nation's Strength

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1904)

What makes a nation's pillars high

And its foundations strong?

What makes it mighty to defy

The foes that round it throng?

It is not gold. Its kingdoms grand

Go down in battle shock;

Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,

Not on abiding rock.

Is it the sword? Ask the red dust

Of empires passed away;

The blood has turned their stones to rust,

Their glory to decay.

And is it pride? Ah, that bright crown 

Has seemed to nations sweet;

But God has struck its luster down

In ashes at his feet. 

Not gold but only men can make 

A people great and strong;

Men who for truth and honor's sake

Stand fast and suffer long.

Brave men who work while others sleep,

Who dare while others fly... 

They build a nation's pillars deep

And lift them to the sky. 

In observance of Fourth of July, our office will be closed on Friday, July 3, 2015. We will resume our regular hours on Monday, July 6, 2015. 

Memorial Day 2015

We remember those who have served,  this Memorial Day.

“We who are left, how shall we look again Happily on the sun or feel the rain Without remembering how they who went Ungrudgingly and spent Their lives for us loved, too, the sun and rain?” -Wilfrid Wilson Gibson The Naturalight Solar office will be closed  Friday, May 22 through Monday, May 25  in observance of Memorial Day.

How to Measure for a Curb Mount Skylight

It is important to know the dimensions for your replacement skylight so the correct size can be ordered to fit the existing curb.
When ordering or describing a skylight, the measurements are always expressed as width (dimension horizontally across the roof) x length (dimension vertically up the roof).

The Outside Curb Dimension is the overall outside dimension size (OD) of the finished, built-up curb. To determine a correctly sized replacement skylight, also include the necessary roofing materials and sheet metal flashing. Skylights are sized slightly larger than the OD of the curb in order to fit over the top like a box cover. 

What Can You Do for the Earth?

There are so many possibilities:

• Volunteer at a beach or park clean-up
• Go to an Earth Day festival
• Change one habit to reduce waste and conserve resources
• Install VELUX Skylights or SUN TUNNELS to reduce day-time energy use
• Install solar panels on your home
• Help start a community garden
• Do something nice for the Earth

Check out the Earth Day Network for a history of Earth Day and more ways to celebrate the Earth every day. 

The 2015 HGTV Smart Home, featuring VELUX Skylights

The 2015 HGTV Smart Home premiers tonight! Check it out to see the featured VELUX Skylights in the Master Bedroom, Loft, and Bathroom. You can also visit the HGTV Smart Home page for video tours of each room.

Want these skylights in your home?

Call 707.527.5330 for a free day-lighting estimate.

Wretched Ridge-Light Bites the Dust

            Katherine and Tyler had an awful ridge skylight that was leaking in the rain and baking the house in the summer.  They contacted Naturalight Solar and we presented them with a design to install four VELUX VSS S01 solar operable, deck mount skylights with solar blinds. We removed the old skylight, re-configured the roof openings, installed and water-proofed the new skylights, and finished the interior.

The wretched ridge-light:

The New VELUX "Fresh Air" Skylights:

Katherine and Tyler are excited that the leaks are gone and overheating is a thing of the past.  They are also looking forward to a tax credit of approximately $6,600. The budget for the project, including permits, was approximately $22,000 and took about one week of on-site work. We just completed this project last week.

"1 Up" Your Home with Energy Efficiency Financing

Add life to your home:

PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) Programs provide financing for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water efficiency improvemetns for homeowners. Many counties in California have at least one program, and some have two. You can visit the program websites to see if your home is eligible for financing. 

Program Perks:

• Loans are not based on credit scores
• No application fee 
• Apply Online
• Pay back through property taxes; loan stays with the property if sold
• Minimum project size is $5,000 with no maximum

VELUX SUN TUNNELs, VELUX Skylights, and SunRise Solar Attic Fans fall under the energy efficiency improvement category, so the installation of these products is eligible for financing through your city's program.

Sonoma County - SCEIP and CaliforniaFIRST

Napa County - CaliforniaFIRST and HERO 

Marin County - CaliforniaFIRST

Solano County - CaliforniaFIRST and HERO

SCEIP (Sonoma  County Energy  Independence Program)

CaliforniaFIRST

HERO Program -    Renovate America

Give Naturalight Solar a call to get a 

free estimate for your day-lighting project: 707.527.5330

Do You Have Potato Chips on Your Roof?

Plastic tube skylight flashings become brittle from exposure to the sun and rain, until they crack, kind of like potato chips. Crunchy, brittle potato chips are a delicious snack, but this quality is not so great in skylight flashings, which will leak when they crack and crumble.

VELUX SUN TUNNEL skylights have metal, one piece, seamless flashings, so you won't ever again have to worry about potato chip flashings on your roof. 

If your skylight flashings look like this, or you notice a leak, give us a call. Keep all your potato chips inside your home. 

      707-527-5330 or visit our website.

Center-Pivot VELUX Roof Window

The VELUX center-pivot (GGU) roof window is great for "in-reach" applications. Check out this video from "Living Big in a Tiny House" to see the center-pivot roof window in action in a tiny house.

You can find more details about VELUX roof windows HERE.