Solatube Daylighting systems selected for Hyde Group's 'Retrofit and Replicate' eco project

Solatube serves up a lighter pint!

When speciality beer makers Otter Brewery decided to create a new underground eco cellar, they soon realised that the advantages of the sub-subterranean location would also present them with a problem – no daylight.

Otter Brewery contacted Solatube to discuss the options for daylighting the new cellar — a mission that became even more challenging when it became apparent that there was no access to the roof to pipe the daylight in.

Read more about how Solatube and Otter Brewery overcame the issues and brought daylight into the heart of the state-of the-art brewing facility.

Did you know ... electric lighting can account for up to 70% of a building's energy use?

It's a little known fact that electric lighting can be responsible for the majority of the energy costs in a commercial or public building. And it’s not just the energy required to run the lighting, it’s the cooling that is required to combat the additional heating that this lighting generates.

Solatube daylighting devices allow designers and specifiers to incorporate simple technologies into new and existing building designs that reduce energy costs from the moment they are installed. Find out how you can dramatically reduce energy costs – and emissions – with Solatube daylighting devices.

Solar Star solar-powered ventilation delivers a mighty blow to passive stack systems

With non-mechanical ventilation becoming a must-have on virtually all new build and refurbishment projects, Solatube presents the solar-powered alternative — Solar Star.

Solar Star is driven by natural light — sunlight, which coincidentally is the cause of most unwanted heat (solar gain) in buildings, and the more the sun heats up a building, the harder Solar Star works to remove that unwanted hot air.

With recent entries to the daylighting market from a number of providers of products using flexible rather than rigid tubes, the Building Research Establishment undertook tests to compare the relative light transmittance of the Solatube® rigid pipe system to that of the Velux Sun Tunnel and Sola Skylights Sky Tunnel, both of which use flexible tubes.

The results are illuminating!

We are extremely proud to announce that Solatube® Daylighting Systems have been awarded the coveted BBA Certificate of Approval.

This makes Solatube® the only rigid tubular daylighting system to hold a BBA certificate. The award follows over two years of thorough testing into all aspects of the product. It's also one the first products to achieve the new style certificate from the BBA.

BRE Test Report 248038 compares Solatube® 330DS with Monodraught SunPipe

When you're specifying a light pipe it's not always easy to cut through all of the sales jargon to determine which product is the best for your project. Well hopefully this should make things easier.

Recent testing at the UK Buildling Research Establishment (BRE) has shown that the Solatube® 330 DS Daylighting System (530mm diameter) is up to 20% more efficient at delivering light than the Monodraught 530mm diameter SunPipe. Tests were carried out in overcast and simulated sunlight conditions with the Solatube® Daylighting System delivering consistently better results.

Comparing tubular daylighting devices?

As the world-renowned innovator of daylighting systems, Solatube® provides a compelling alternative to artificial lighting, bringing the benefits of brilliant, natural light to both new and existing buildings while at the same time reducing energy costs and consumption. But how do you ensure you are getting the most efficient system?

Solatube® uses the most advanced technologies in every daylight system to ensure that efficiency and performance is unrivalled. One of Solatube's key features is its exclusive, super-reflective tube material... even small differences in a tube's reflective value will make a significant difference to the amount light delivered.

BP is one of the world's largest energy companies, providing its customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, retail services and petrochemicals products for everyday items. It aims to lessen its environmental impact in a number of ways and where appropriate looks to utilise innovative technology.

As part of this aim, BP recently installed thirty-one Solatube® 290DS Daylight Systems in conjunction with a DALI interactive lighting system at a new flagship store in Hampshire. BP is trialing the two systems with the objective of reducing energy consumption as part of its drive to reduce CO2 emissions at its UK retail sites.

Solatube® delivers gold medal Olympic performance

Billed as the 'Green Olympics', the organisers of Beijing 2008 are boasting a host of energy saving technologies in the construction specifications of the various sporting venues for this summer's games.

As part of the drive to lower emissions, 148 Solatube® Daylight Systems have been installed into the roof of the massive new 8,000 seat gymnasium built to stage the Judo and Taekwondo events during the coming weeks.

With tube lengths in excess of eight meters, only Solatube's 99.7% reflective tubing was considered to be up-to-the-job of delivering enough light to satisfy the needs of both athletes and spectators.

Solatube® Daylight Systems fuel BP's drive to reduce carbon footprint

Seventeen Solatube® Daylight Systems were installed as part of a trial at BP's site in Childs Way, in Milton Keynes, in the retail and back office areas.

Jason McMenamin, BP's maintenance co-ordinator comments:
"Installing the Solatubes has the potential to help us to reduce our carbon footprint. In addition, the use of daylight rather than electric light creates a better place for our customers to shop and our staff to work."

Environment Agency sees daylight for saving energy

The Environment Agency has installed Solatube® Daylight Systems to bring daylight to windowless areas.