SolaTube controllable daylighting in design

Daylighting, via Top Lighting, has historically been problematic in consideration of lighting design due to the unavailability of measured Lumen output data and inherent problems of Skylights, including Solar Heat Gain/Loss.

Recently the development of Tubular Daylighting Devices (TDD's) has made Top Lighting a viable and desirable component of the lighting design of a building.

For designers and energy managers seeking environmentally sustainable illumination alternatives for commercial buildings, this new advanced daylighting technology is the answer, and is now available in Australia. Solatube Australia, pioneer of energy efficient natural lighting solutions, is officially launching its ENERGY STAR rated 750 DS Daylighting System at this years Form & Function / DesignEx 2009 exhibition.

The 750 DS Solatube Daylighting system has been physically tested and certified for its Solar heat Gain and U-Values - the tests provide excellent quantifiable results that can be used by Mechanical Engineers. "Unlike the majority of fenestration products, Solatube Daylighting Systems offer maximum light performance with minimal solar heat gain," said Solatube Australia's General Manager Mark Peall.

Solatube Australia have quantifiable lumen output data based on isometrics of various cities combined with the Photometrics of each device, providing lumen output tables. This allows engineers to predict, with some accuracy, the lowest/highest average light levels. IES data files are available for each device and can be downloaded from the company's website.

Advanced optics in the dome are used for the 750 DS that allow for a more consistent lighting level - maximising low level light (morning, afternoon, winter) and optimising high level light to reduce glare and heat.

The various options for TDDs include dimming functionality that controls the output of the device (or groups of devices) and also provide 0-10 Volt inputs which allows for automation compatibility. Not only can artificial lights then be dimmed, but so can the TDD to meet the lux level requirements of the space.

The available range of sizes and configurations allow for TDD's to be considered in most building types including Residential, Education. Retail, Health, Office, and Industrial.

Daylighting multiple floors is made possible with long tube runs and 0-90 degree bends, and the highly reflective tubing not only reduces losses but also allows greater flexibility to reach areas within buildings. Diffuser options - called 'designer choices' - can incorporate effects lenses which allow for softening or warming effect results (dropping colour temperature by up to 1000k).

The tubing of TDDs also deliver a Colour Rendering factor of 100 delivering purest Daylight.

Specifiers should stipulate the above attributes in any specification to ensure that Solatube Daylighting Systems are utilised and desired lighting outcomes are delivered.

The opportunity to save energy, extend the replacement time of lamps and to provide beneficial human effects of daylight make Solatube Tubular Daylighting Devices a necessary consideration in good lighting design.

In the mid-1980s Solatube Australia pioneered with its concept of tubular daylighting, an energy efficient alternative to the poorly designed and leak prone skylights that were on the market at the time. Widely recognised as the industry innovator, Solatube Australia has earned acclaim for its unrivalled ability to transform interior spaces with the power of daylight. Solatube Australia are a member of the Green Building Council of Australia, the Lighting Council of Australia and are HIA Greensmart Regional Partner.