Top 5 things you need to know about sun tunnels before you buy

Solatube is the originator of the ‘tubular daylight system’, also known as sun tunnels or sun pipes. Often copied and referred to as Solarspot, Sunpipe and Lightway, it is worth knowing that they are NOT all the same.  Here is Solatube Southwest’s guide on what you need to know about the alternative to skylights and Velux style roof windows.

1.What is a sun tunnel?

So, how does a sun tunnel work?  A clear dome on your roof gathers ambient daylight from all around and pipes it down a highly reflective tube to a diffuser in the ceiling of the room below, delivering exceptionally bright daylight in to your dark home.

The dome can face any direction and still deliver lots of very bright light.  A Solatube sun tunnel is very bright and a single system can easily light up an entire room.  They are specifically designed to direct light along the tube, often over many meters, unlike a Velux style roof window which loses most of the light in the plasterboard light well or shaft beneath it. You can see the big difference here.

2.How bright is a sun tunnel system

Solatube sun tunnels are VERY bright, delivering large amounts of daylight in to dark rooms and transforming them in to light, bright spaces.  Most people are extremely surprised when they see just how bright and how much light a Solatube can deliver. A Solatube can therefore make a BIG difference in almost any room.

However, don’t be mistaken in believing that all makes of sun tunnel system are the same; they are most definitely not.  Unfortunately, there are very few people out there who really understand the significant differences there are between the various systems and consequently there is a lot of misinformation. Take a quick look at a previous blog to understand the differences. 

So, please be aware that there is a very big difference between different makes of tubular systems, which means that simply comparing the price of the same size systems between manufacturers does not give you an accurate picture.  Just take a look at the difference in light between a Solatube and the same size rigid tube, copycat system here.

Quite simply, Solatubes are the most effective and efficient way of delivering daylight in to a room, providing as much light as a window many times its size.  A single, sun pipe can comfortably light up a typical room making it bright enough to read and write in, all day long so you would never need to switch a light on again during daylight hours.

A small room such as a typical bathroom (approx 3m x 3m or 10’ x 10’) can be lit with a single small diameter Sun pipe or Solatube.

Whereas for larger rooms and spaces such as a kitchen, dining or living room or long hallways a single, larger diameter Solatube is usually sufficient.  And, as with windows, it is sometimes best to have more than one to help light up bigger spaces.

3.Which is the best sun tunnel system

All manufacturers claim to have the best performance and they all pay to have their own independent tests.  Often they focus on a single element (such as the dome or the reflective material), or a single time of the day or year, to get their point across.  However, what is important is how much light the system as a whole delivers, consistently over an average year.

Beware of extravagant claims. Tests results claimed by manufacturers are usually benchmarked against the market leader, Solatube.  However, Solatube has recently redesigned their dome so that it now delivers even more light than before, resulting in competitor’s tests being out of date as they are based on the old dome.

4.How reflective is a sun tunnel and what’s the difference between flexible and rigid tubes

It only takes a small percentage difference in the reflectiveness of the tube to make a big difference in how much light is delivered to the room below. Solatube uses the worlds’ most reflective rigid material at 99.7% and hence ensures that the majority of light collected by the dome is delivered to the room below – certainly more than most other systems that only use 98% reflective material.

• Each time light bounces it loses either 2% of its light with 98% reflective material, or just 0.3% with 99.7% tubing.

• So, over an average tube run of say 10 bounces 98% reflective tubing loses a massive 20% of the light

• 7% reflective Solatubes lose just 3% over the same tube run

That’s a BIG difference

Systems using a flexible tube, such as the Velux sun tunnel, simply do not deliver any meaningful amount of light. The Building Research Establishment undertook their own independent tests and established that, to deliver the same amount of light as a rigid Solatube, you would need to install 10 (yes, that’s correct, 10) flexible tube systems.  If you only came away with one piece of advice from all this, then do not install a flexi tube system as you will probably be very disappointed.

5.Why have a dome rather than a flat roof window?

Whilst a flat roof window is unobtrusive it is also dependent on direct light shining down it, whereas a dome on the roof gathers ambient daylight from all around and directs it down the tube, i.e. it gathers much more light, all day long and all year long, including whenever the sun is not shining directly down it, whatever direction it faces. A flat glass collector works well only on south-facing pitches and usually only during the middle of the day when the sun is at its highest.

Whilst a dome collects the most light, where the appearance of a traditional flat skylight is preferred or where planning/listed building consent insists that a dome can’t be used, Solatubes low profile flat glass collector, with 99.7% reflective tubing beneath is the ideal solution.

Solatubes continual product development ensures that they deliver even more light than ever before, ensuring that Solatube remains the world’s best tubular daylight system.

Across the south and west, Solatube Southwest is the recognised distributor and installer of Solatube sun tunnels (or light pipes), from Christchurch and Bournemouth down to Plymouth and beyond.

If you are interested in bringing natural light into your home, why not contact us at Solatube Southwest; 07989 976 010) to find out whether a Solatube sun pipe can help you. Typically, a fully installed system might cost anywhere between £900 – £1,200; that’s supplied, professionally installed and includes the VAT.