[Greenbuilding] daylighting options and technologies

[Ted Inoue]

I installed several in my home last year and love them. The units I used,
Solatube, have the option of installing a bulb holder in the unit so you can
use them with CF's for nighttime lighting.

Aesthetically, they're like large recessed lights - you just see the
white/translucent plastic inner light disperser. It's low profile. You can
see what it look like at this link:
http://www.solatube.com/homeowner/roomgallery.php

My wife is very sensitive to aesthetic issues, and she hasn't complained. So
they pass that test!

The light from them is excellent. I use a small one in a north-facing office
and rarely have to turn on the light during the day. I installed a large one
in a dark mudroom that connects the house to the garage (minimal natural
light gets in there) and again, it lights it up very well. So well in fact
that it confuses visitors. I've had a couple people ask me where the switch
is to turn off the light.

We installed another in a bathroom, and it's perfect for that application.

Thermally, the tube is large, and it is a penetration right through the
roof, insulation and ceiling. I just scanned it with my IR camera and it
appears to be 1-2F cooler than the ceiling around it. This is with 15F
outdoor temperatures, in my indirectly heated mudroom. The ceiling is 59F,
the light-tube disperser 57.5F. The construction of that roof is 5"
polyurethane foam applied to the roof deck. So we're comparing highly
insulated roof to no insulation and just a tube. So that air space is
working quite well to minimize heat loss.
The weak point is the penetration through the ceiling. Just as with recessed
lights, if you don't seal the penetration, you'll get cold air flow through
the cracks. However, the disperser snaps on and has a rubber weatherstip
that can seal tightly against the ceiling, greatly reducing infiltration. On
two of my units, this works great. The third, not so good because it doesn't
snap on fully, so that required more work.

Overall, I highly recommend these products. I've been extremely happy with
them.
-Ted

On Jan 3, 2008 11:49 PM, Leslie Moyer <Unschooler at atlasok.com> wrote:

> My architect hates these....I think she thinks they're ugly and I don't
> disagree....but surely someone will beautify one soon.  Does anyone know
> if anyone has?  I've been in a few houses that use these and, from a
> function standpoint, I think they work pretty well--even providing some
> light at night if it's clear out.
>
> --Leslie
>
> Reuben Deumling wrote:
> > I have never installed one of those reflective tube affairs with a
> plastic
> > lense on the roof which collects daylight and transmits it into a room
> > (below), but them seem really clever.
> >
>
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