Are Daylighting Systems Effective When It's Cloudy?

 

Are Daylighting Systems Effective When It's Cloudy?

The benefits of Tubular Daylighting Devices (TDDs) or daylighting systems as they are often referred to, are well known. They include:

• Bringing additional natural sunlight to parts of a house where windows and/or traditional skylights do not allow enough light to enter.

• Reducing the amount of electric lighting used during the day and so bringing down utility bills.

• Reducing the carbon footprint of the home.

• Allowing the health benefits of sunlight to be available to those who are in the building.

While the benefits are many, one question that is often asked by prospective TDD users is how effective the device is on cloudy days? The answer depends on the manufacturing process and the technology used. Solatube is the world leader in TDD manufacture and the daylighting system it manufacturers are the most effective and efficient that are available anywhere. Because of this, the amount of light that the systems carry indoors on cloudy days is superior to any other brand of TDD.

The Solatube Advantage

There are 3 main elements in the functioning of a TDD. The first is the capture of light from the roof of the structure. Solatube’s high-tech daylight capture dome with a proprietary Raybender lens combined with an integrated reflector work in unison to collect the maximum possible amount of sunlight even in low-intensity daylight conditions. The dome’s design means that even low-angle light is captured for transmission to the house interiors.

Once the light is captured, the next step is to carry it into the house interior. This is done using state-of-the-art Spectralight Infinity Tubing. This special and unique tubing, with a reflectivity percentage that goes as high as 99.7%, means that there is almost no light loss, so that even on dull and cloudy days, the system will provide light to the interior of the house. The high reflectivity percentage means that the light loss, even around corners, is minimal.

The final step in bringing sunlight indoors is with the use of special lighting fixtures and diffusers. The light control options mean that the right amount of daylight is available all the time. On very bright and sunny days, the dimmer may be set to reduce the amount of light entering the room to prevent it from being too bright and uncomfortable. On cloudy days, the maximum amount of light can be allowed to enter, so that all the available sunlight is carried indoors.

The elegant and stylish lighting fixtures are designed to complement the décor of any room without compromising of efficiency.

Additional Benefits

Solatube daylighting systems offer additional advantages.

• There is an add-on ventilation kit to keep the room fresh and humidity free.

• A solar-powered daylight dimmer allows for the light levels to be adjusted easily with the use of wireless remote control.

• A light add-on kit gives the option of having electric lighting for night-time use integrated into the sunlight diffuser so that a single fixture provides light day and night and the ceiling is not cluttered by multiple fixtures.

• When a daylight system is installed in a home, the homeowner is entitled to a federal tax credit.

• With Solatube, hassle-free daylight is available indoors for many years, with no running cost.

Light output will always be affected by the amount of light that enters the system. While clouds and low-angle light will affect the operation of any TDD, with the efficiency of the Solatube system, light level consistency can be maintained even on cloudy days.

Installed In Hours

Sunlight Concepts is the Solatube Premier Dealer for the San Francisco Bay Area. Besides a full range of Solatube TDD models and a wide variety of fixtures and add-ons, our installation experts will install the system in a few hours, usually on the same day, and leave you with a clean well-lit home. Contact us for a free in-home or virtual consultation where we will evaluate your daylighting needs, answer all your questions, and, once you have made an informed decision, install the right daylighting systems for your home. Use the Contact Us link on our website or call us at (408) 317-0217 or, for Monterey & Santa Cruz,(831) 580-1418 to get started on naturally illuminating your home.