There’s a saying in Texas that goes something like this, “Texans love the outdoors, so long as they can enjoy them inside with the air conditioner on.”

Known for its hot summers, Texas-sized mosquitoes and thunderstorms, Austin, Texas, posed a special challenge for the designers of the HGTV^® Smart Home 2015: Create a comfortable and energy-efficient home that makes smart use of the latest in home automation.

VELUX No Leak Solar Powered “Fresh Air” Skylights play a key role in reducing the home’s dependence on electrical lighting and air conditioning. They bring the outdoors inside without sacrificing comfort.

“The skylights play such an important role in bringing natural light into the house, as well as offering features that help you control air flow and heat release,” said Jack Thomasson, House Planner for the HGTV Smart Home 2015. “I love that you need to rely less on conventional lighting and HVAC because of the simple (and customizable) functions of the skylights.”

During the day, the home’s residents will rarely need to turn on the lights in the master bedroom, loft or children’s bathroom for everyday tasks. The skylights provide balanced natural light in these rooms, making electrical lighting necessary only during the night.

When it comes to cooling the home during warmer seasons, just open the skylights and a window or two on the home’s first floor to create refreshing air flow inside the home.

In addition to making the home comfortable, this breeze also rids it of old, stale air. And airing the home is simple with the VELUX touch-screen remote control that can be used to program the skylights to open for short intervals several times daily.

Because the skylights are solar powered, fresh air with pre-programmed openings, doesn’t cost a penny.