Did you ever wonder whether all skylights are similar in design?

 

By David McClelland

 

I really thought that all skylights were pretty much of the same design until I read a very informative advertisement in a Florida newspaper while on vacation.

 

It was for Tubular Skylights (TS), a design with which I was unfamiliar. All of the skylights I had seen had been installed to lay flat on roofs, whether they were flat roofs or slooped. We have never had a skylight in any of our homes, but I knew that skylights let in a good deal of light because I have been in homes and other buildings that had them. I couldn't picture what a tubular skylight would be like or just how it would work, so I did the research and this is what I learned.

 

Let me try to describe how the TS is designed and then show you a picture. It resembles a small silo with a domed (convex) window on top. The cylinder below the dome continues through the roof to the ceiling of the room you intend to brighten with natural light. On the bottom of the cylinder is another dome (concave) of glass. The small, clear dome on the roof allows sunlight to enter a highly reflective tube that guides the sunshine to your ceiling. A translucent diffuser lens gently disperses natural light throughout the room below. There are virtually no color distortions (98.7 Color Rendering Index). This would provide the most appealing, natural light in the room below the TS. And it provides as much light as a conventional skylight ten (10) times its size. With this type of skylight, one could provide very good natural lighting for a 900 square foot, or 30' x 30', room.

 

 

The TS manufacturer claims, and the Florida Department of Energy confirmed, that the tubular skylights will pay for themselves in lower energy costs within two years. That is because the equivalent R22 insulation rating will not transfer heat or cold like a conventional skylight. They claim that a TS would save on electric bills by providing natural lighting in your house and air conditioning costs would be lower as well. The cost of a TS was said to range from $200 to $550 each, complete with installation and taxes. And, if installed this year, you can get a 30% federal tax credit. That all sounds good.

 

If you want to learn more about the TS, you can go to: www.tubular-skylight.com.