Natural lighting is a great way to save energy and help the lighting in your building, but it is not always a cheap fix. The interior sections of a building are often left without any natural light post-retrofit and still require consistent conventional lighting, which causes the energy bill to remain high. This is where Tubular daylighting devices can greatly benefit your building. Tubular daylighting devices, also commonly referred to as light tubes or light pipes, provide a way to incorporate natural light into buildings from the roof without installing large windows.

What is a tubular daylighting device?

A tubular daylighting device is the newest, sleekest way to bring natural light into your home. It is a narrow tube that unobtrusively shines daylight into dark rooms. These devices also reduce the number of fixtures you need in a room, which will reduce your electricity and save you money. TDDS consist of three parts: a collector on the roof that gathers sunlight, a hollow pipe guide that channels the light down and a diffuser at the ceiling that spreads light throughout the interior of the building. Installation typically takes little time, but you will be to be aware of the layout and topography of your roof before you install them.

The type of collector used can have a major effect on the lighting power output. Using prisms, reflectors or other optical components, some tubular daylighting devices can collect daylight when the sun is at a low altitude. They can also redirect the light to reduce reflection losses in the pipe. Other have plain domes will not be as effective at low solar altitude times.

Tubular daylight devices are a great way to provide more natural lighting into your building without costing too much. It is a small change that will go a long way!