Solar tubes

One of the innovative products we've come across is solar tubes or small pipes with a mushroom-shaped top that funnel natural light into an interior space. They're relatively cheap to buy and can reduce our need for artificial light. We really want to make our home as light and airy as possible...with natural light, preferably!

Here is the blog Cooler Planet's explanation of solar tubes and a link to one of the primary manufacturers of the product, Solatube.

Here's a drawing of a solar tube from Lowes' online installment guide.