Solatube® Daylighting Systems
Top 6 questions
How does a Solatube® Daylighting System work?
Solatube® captures daylight from your rooftop, pipes it down a highly reflective tube, then delivers it into the room below - simple but brilliant! There are no running costs and the system is maintenance free. Solatube® is the most efficient daylight system of its kind. Read more about how Solatube® Daylighting Systems work.
What size do I need?
The Solatube® Brighten Up® Series is ideal for domestic use; the Solatube® 160 DS is a 250mm diameter system that will light up to 10sqm, the Solatube® 290 DS is a 350mm diameter system that will light up to 18sqm. Both sizes are designed to fit between standard roof joists for easy installation. The Solamaster® Series delivers daylight to larger, more expansive areas and is often specified in the education, healthcare and commercial sectors. Check our Solatube® sizing and applications page or our Specify your Solatube® page for further details.
Why is a Solatube® Daylighting System more efficient than any other 'similar' system?
The Solatube® Brighten Up® Series has patented design technologies: active daylight harvesting devices in the roof dome - the Raybender® 3000 lens system and the LightTracker™ dome reflector. Once the daylight has been harvested, the exclusive 99.7% reflective Spectralight® Infinity tubing ensures that the maximum light possible is transferred to the ceiling diffuser. No other system can boast these features and this is why Solatube® Daylighting Systems give unrivalled performance.
How much light does a Solatube® Daylighting System give?
A Solatube® Daylighting System – indeed any tubular daylighting device – works in a similar manner to a window; the brighter the day outside, the more light you receive inside. So giving an exact figure for how much light you would receive would be misleading because daylight conditions change constantly. The key when choosing a tubular daylighting device is to ensure you select one that has the best light capture features and light transfer features available to take full advantage of the available daylight and this is where Solatube® is light years ahead – see our Unrivalled performance page and independent reports on how Solatube® compares to flexible duct products.
What are the advantages of a Solatube® Daylighting System over a traditional window or roof light?
Solatube® Daylighting Systems have some key advantages over traditional skylights and windows. While these traditional methods have their place, Solatube® Daylighting Systems can offer adaptable location options, lower cost of installation, better lighting performance, and a range of accessories that can turn your Solatube® Daylighting System into a multi-functional unit.
Why is Solatube® better than flexible duct systems?
Recent independent tests by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) have proven that Solatube® can deliver up to 10 times more light than a similar-sized flexible duct system. See the reports and also a case study where one Solatube® Daylighting System outperformed two flexible duct systems.
