Comments on: TUBULAR SKYLIGHT: Start saving lighting electricity with Solatube today http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/05/26/tubular-skylight-start-saving-lighting-electricity-with-solatube-today/ Green Home Improvement Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:05:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: John http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/05/26/tubular-skylight-start-saving-lighting-electricity-with-solatube-today/#comment-485 John Fri, 20 Feb 2009 01:31:20 +0000 http://www.getwithgreen.com/?p=244#comment-485 James, if you are amazed at the amount of light that an ODL tubular skylight puts out, you would be astounded at the amount of light diffused from a Solatube. What consumers want to educated themselves on with this type of technology is primarily the following: 1. Reflectivity and 2. Flashing material used. Solatube is the leader in the tubular daylighting technology. It's tubing material (Spectralight Infinity) is 99.7% reflective. That's nearly 100% reflective. So whatever light that is on the roof of your home is virtually the light that Solatube can bring in to your home. Solatube has no competition on reflectivity. Since it owns the patent on Spectralight, no other company can match this standard. Solatube only uses steel flashings. This is important. You do not want to put an acrylic or polymeric flashing on your roof. Over time, the elements will wear it down and possibly expose your roof to a leak. The Solatube flashing design is leak proof. So, where can consumers find out more details, see Solatubes installed, and get expert advice on this product? Well, in the Bay area, Sola-Brite, East Bay and San Francisco Counties Premier Dealer Showroom @ 5729 Sonoma Drive Ste H Pleasanton,CA 94566 www.solabrite.com James, if you are amazed at the amount of light that an ODL tubular skylight puts out, you would be astounded at the amount of light diffused from a Solatube.

What consumers want to educated themselves on with this type of technology is primarily the following:

1. Reflectivity and
2. Flashing material used.

Solatube is the leader in the tubular daylighting technology. It’s tubing material (Spectralight Infinity) is 99.7% reflective. That’s nearly 100% reflective. So whatever light that is on the roof of your home is virtually the light that Solatube can bring in to your home.
Solatube has no competition on reflectivity. Since it owns the patent on Spectralight, no other company can match this standard.

Solatube only uses steel flashings. This is important. You do not want to put an acrylic or polymeric flashing on your roof. Over time, the elements will wear it down and possibly expose your roof to a leak.
The Solatube flashing design is leak proof.

So, where can consumers find out more details, see Solatubes installed, and get expert advice on this product? Well, in the Bay area, Sola-Brite, East Bay and San Francisco Counties Premier Dealer

Showroom @
5729 Sonoma Drive Ste H
Pleasanton,CA 94566
http://www.solabrite.com

]]> By: James http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/05/26/tubular-skylight-start-saving-lighting-electricity-with-solatube-today/#comment-421 James Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:54:18 +0000 http://www.getwithgreen.com/?p=244#comment-421 I installed an ODL tubular skylight in my home and was amazed at the amount of light that 10" tube could provide. I want to put a few larger 14" in as well. I am very happy with the ODL tubular skylight because they were readily available at the home center and were easyt to install for a DIY'er. You can check them out at www.odl.com. I installed an ODL tubular skylight in my home and was amazed at the amount of light that 10″ tube could provide. I want to put a few larger 14″ in as well. I am very happy with the ODL tubular skylight because they were readily available at the home center and were easyt to install for a DIY’er. You can check them out at http://www.odl.com.

]]> By: GetGreen http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/05/26/tubular-skylight-start-saving-lighting-electricity-with-solatube-today/#comment-317 GetGreen Sun, 24 Aug 2008 23:32:11 +0000 http://www.getwithgreen.com/?p=244#comment-317 There are three types of softeners from Solatube: 1. Soft Effects (softens the natural light and diffuses it again so its not so bright) 2. Warm Effects (warms the white light to a warm glow) 3. Warm Softening Effects (warms & diffuses the natural light to an even softer warm glow) Regarding your other questions about location, we hear from a dealer that you can put the flashing and dome on a different part of the roof - it will just take more tubing to get the Solatube at the proper location in the ceiling - may even have to use a 0-90 degree elbow piece if a turn is necessary to accomplish this, but it can be done. It should not decrease the light output much at all - and if you wants to soften it anyways it won't matter - it might be beneficial. There are three types of softeners from Solatube:

1. Soft Effects (softens the natural light and diffuses it again so its not so bright)
2. Warm Effects (warms the white light to a warm glow)
3. Warm Softening Effects (warms & diffuses the natural light to an even softer warm glow)

Regarding your other questions about location, we hear from a dealer that you can put the flashing and dome on a different part of the roof - it will just take more tubing to get the Solatube at the proper location in the ceiling - may even have to use a 0-90 degree elbow piece if a turn is necessary to accomplish this, but it can be done. It should not decrease the light output much at all - and if you wants to soften it anyways it won’t matter - it might be beneficial.

]]> By: rarnold http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/05/26/tubular-skylight-start-saving-lighting-electricity-with-solatube-today/#comment-318 rarnold Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:35:55 +0000 http://www.getwithgreen.com/?p=244#comment-318 I recently had a 10" Sun Tunnel brand tubular skylight installed in a very dark interior bathroom. Amazed at the amount of light it brings in. At first, we were a bit disappointed because the light seemed so cold white-very flourescent in appearance. However, it is growing on me and each day I am more pleased with it. If I could just stop turning off "the light switch." I am considering purchasing a Solatube skylight for another area bathroom because the brand seems to have many options and accessories, including several diffuser styles. I would probably have to make the purchase by mail order and so I need to make a judgement about diffuser I select. I want the brightest natural light look I can get, but a bit warmer than the straight cold white. Don't want a true incandescent look. Can anyone suggest the right diffuser? I'm having trouble understanding the real meaning of the various diffuser descriptions. Also, I would like to install a tubular skylight with a light fixture adapter in the upstairs hall/stairwell. The problem is that the only acceptable location on the ceiling for the diffuser would place the exterior fixture on the front roof of the house, about 2 feet from the top of the pitched roof. This is a No No in the community. Would it be possible to locate the diffuser at this point on the ceiling and then locate the exterior part of the tube about 3 to 4 feet away so that it is on the back side of the house? I guess this would take various lengths/elbows to accomplish, but would it reduce the light so much as to not make it worthwhile? I recently had a 10″ Sun Tunnel brand tubular skylight installed in a very dark interior bathroom. Amazed at the amount of light it brings in. At first, we were a bit disappointed because the light seemed so cold white-very flourescent in appearance. However, it is growing on me and each day I am more pleased with it. If I could just stop turning off “the light switch.”

I am considering purchasing a Solatube skylight for another area bathroom because the brand seems to have many options and accessories, including several diffuser styles. I would probably have to make the purchase by mail order and so I need to make a judgement about diffuser I select. I want the brightest natural light look I can get, but a bit warmer than the straight cold white. Don’t want a true incandescent look. Can anyone suggest the right diffuser? I’m having trouble understanding the real meaning of the various diffuser descriptions.

Also, I would like to install a tubular skylight with a light fixture adapter in the upstairs hall/stairwell. The problem is that the only acceptable location on the ceiling for the diffuser would place the exterior fixture on the front roof of the house, about 2 feet from the top of the pitched roof. This is a No No in the community. Would it be possible to locate the diffuser at this point on the ceiling and then locate the exterior part of the tube about 3 to 4 feet away so that it is on the back side of the house? I guess this would take various lengths/elbows to accomplish, but would it reduce the light so much as to not make it worthwhile?

]]> By: 143mom http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/05/26/tubular-skylight-start-saving-lighting-electricity-with-solatube-today/#comment-319 143mom Sat, 05 Jul 2008 02:29:24 +0000 http://www.getwithgreen.com/?p=244#comment-319 I put two in my master bathroom when I remodeled about 10 years ago, one in the tiled shower stall and one in the center of the room. This is an interior room with no windows so you can imagine what an incredible difference it makes to have natural light in there. I can't imagine how much I've saved in electricity over the years - all day long the room has a bright natural glow. I sometimes even get enough moonlight down the tubes to light up the room a little. No, I don't work for Solatube, just a very happy customer. Wish they had the optional light back then! I put two in my master bathroom when I remodeled about 10 years ago, one in the tiled shower stall and one in the center of the room. This is an interior room with no windows so you can imagine what an incredible difference it makes to have natural light in there. I can’t imagine how much I’ve saved in electricity over the years - all day long the room has a bright natural glow. I sometimes even get enough moonlight down the tubes to light up the room a little. No, I don’t work for Solatube, just a very happy customer. Wish they had the optional light back then!

]]> By: EcoAchiever http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/05/26/tubular-skylight-start-saving-lighting-electricity-with-solatube-today/#comment-316 EcoAchiever Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:24:16 +0000 http://www.getwithgreen.com/?p=244#comment-316 The only aesthetic issues that neighbors might have for one of these is that they are similar to a roof vent from the outside. There shouldn't be any special permits for weight or anything, this is basically a skylight. And the benefits is the increased natural daylight you get (and less need to turn on lights). I'm very pleased with mine (actually a different brand, Suntunnel, made by Velux) and have described its application on my <a href="http://www.humphrey-house.com/search/label/suntunnel" rel="nofollow">bungalow blog</a>. The only aesthetic issues that neighbors might have for one of these is that they are similar to a roof vent from the outside. There shouldn’t be any special permits for weight or anything, this is basically a skylight. And the benefits is the increased natural daylight you get (and less need to turn on lights). I’m very pleased with mine (actually a different brand, Suntunnel, made by Velux) and have described its application on my bungalow blog.

]]> By: Dagny, Steamboat Springs, CO http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/05/26/tubular-skylight-start-saving-lighting-electricity-with-solatube-today/#comment-320 Dagny, Steamboat Springs, CO Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:13:11 +0000 http://www.getwithgreen.com/?p=244#comment-320 I hadn't heard of solar tubing. Interesting concept. Would you need a permit for the same reasons you generally need a permit for solar panels? Is it an aesthetic thing? Dagny McKinley www.onnotextiles.com organic apparel I hadn’t heard of solar tubing. Interesting concept. Would you need a permit for the same reasons you generally need a permit for solar panels? Is it an aesthetic thing?

Dagny McKinley
http://www.onnotextiles.com
organic apparel

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