Humans are attracted to the light from the sun. We also need proper doses of natural sunlight to function properly. For dark rooms in your home, a skylight is a perfect way to allow natural light into your interior.

But some homeowners may be reluctant to choose skylight installation because they believe it will increase the temperature in their home. However, the latest technology for tubular daylight devices from Solatube drastically reduces solar heat gain.

In this article, you’ll find valuable information about the technologies used in Solatube’s tubular skylight products to reduce solar heat gain. Read on to find out more.

What is Solar Heat Gain?

During the year, especially in warm summer months, solar energy that is allowed to enter a building unchecked can lead to a rise in the thermal load which can require an increase in air conditioning usage and/or the addition of supplemental equipment to manage the added heat. This is solar heat gain.

Solar Heat Gain and The Difference Solatube Skylights Make

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), which measures how well a product blocks heat from the sun, is one of Solatube’s Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for our daylighting products, so we have developed innovative technologies to meet this KPI – Spectralight Infinity Tubing!

Our patented Spectralight Infinity Tubing in combination with other advanced daylighting technology creates the ideal balance between visible transmission and solar heat gain to deliver pure, bright daylight without the added solar energy that can cause heat build-up and force air conditioning systems to work harder.

How Does It Work?

Solatube International’s Spectralight Infinity Tubing transmits the visible spectrum of light (400 to 760 nanometers) but provides significant blockage of Infrared (IR) wavelengths greater than 900 nm, which is the main culprit in solar heat gain. As a result, the SHGC of Solatube products is greatly reduced which, in turn, reduces the air conditioning load requirement for the space being lit by daylight.

In short, these technologies allow Solatube Daylighting Systems to provide the highest light output performance with minimal thermal impact!

A Closer Look At Our INFRAREDuction Technology

INFRAREDuction technology allows 99.97% of the visual light to reflect down the tube but the infrared rays are absorbed before they can transfer into your interior.

Furthermore, INFRAREDuction uses a patented process that extracts infrared wavelengths from 950 to 2500nm on the first light bounce before they can be transferred through the tube. This disperses the heat above the ceiling insulation layer before it enters the building.

The process drastically reduces solar heat gain and loads on HVAC systems to maintain comfortable temperatures inside. As a result, you can save on utility costs!

Technology Demonstrations

Solatube has physical displays of this technology in our Sydney showroom. This effect can also be easily demonstrated by pointing a spot thermometer on any brighten-up system that is already installed in your home.

Take a look at our example below! The tube on left has Solatube INFRAREDuction, and on the right is a standard competitor tube. Above both tubes are 100W bathroom heat globes – Solatube filters out 20C° degrees.

Old Skylight Designs vs New and Improved Tubular Skylights

However, modern skylights from Solatube safeguard your home from the damaging effects of UV rays. This means you can enjoy the benefits of natural light entering the home without the negative elements older skylight designs still allowed.

Final Thoughts

Solatube Daylighting Systems use multiple technologies to minimise heat gain and loss. INFRAREDuction technology is simply one of the components used. Ask us how else a tubular skylight can benefit you!

Tubular skylights from Solatube are the coolest tubes this summer. Get yours by contacting our team on 02 9725 5433 or request a quick quote on the skylight you want for your home. Our team is ready to assist you with any questions you may have on our Solatube Daylighting Systems.

For many Australians, air conditioning units are a necessity for a comfortable home environment in a variable climate. However, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic are changing the way we live, with more focus on environmental sustainability and soaring energy costs. Attention is also being drawn to finding ways to improve air quality in the home as Australian homeowners face increased bushfires in recent years.

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of recognising the way Australians use air conditioning units. The experts agree that some changes need to happen. Social scientist, Dr. Strengers says, “We’ve got to stop thinking about heating and cooling, and we’ve got to start thinking about healthy and safe air…because it’s all something we’re going to need.”

Due to the pandemic and increased exposure to toxic bushfire fumes, consumers are raising the question around improving ventilation in the home. This means looking at a different way of using energy to improve the health and safety of air in homes.

Adjusting How You Use Heating and Cooling Systems

A CSIRO study has revealed that climate change is responsible for the increased surface area affected by bushfires in Australia. An increase of up to 800%! With this boom of bushfires in recent years, Australians are being faced with the prospect of increased toxicity in the air. And, homeowners are searching for ways to improve ventilation in their homes for better quality air.

Dr. Strengers goes on to say that “Exposure to the toxic bushfire smoke and an increased concern about ventilation are impacting the way consumers use energy, as we think more about keeping out air that might harm us.”

Manufacturers and distributors of air conditioning units are coming up with solutions, shifting the way you use heating and cooling units while putting less strain on energy generation. Products such as Solatube’s bush fire rated Solar Roof Ventilation system are being recommended for homes that get too hot while putting less strain on your HVAC system.

The trick here is to maintain your home’s indoor climate at a comfortable level while keeping energy costs down when using a HVAC unit. This is where roof ventilation can play a vital and efficient role.

Finding an Eco-Friendly Solution to Roof Ventilation

With more awareness around sustainability and finding eco-friendly solutions to heating, cooling and ventilating the home, Australians are tapping into solar-powered products. Using a solar-powered roof ventilator is an energy-efficient solution that many eco-conscious homeowners are having installed in their homes.

Solatube’s Solar Star roof ventilator has the following benefits:

• Removes heat from your roof space and replaces it with cooler air
• Allows your HVAC unit to run optimally while making it more cost-effective
• Needs no electrical connection as it operates on solar power
• Keeps humidity and moisture under control
• Puts no pressure on the grid

Roof ventilation installation is one way of responding to Dr. Strengers’ argument that, “We need to be thinking about ways to provide cooling in homes that don’t draw down (or increase) demand on the grid.”

How Does Roof Ventilation Work?

Roof ventilation drives heat out of your roof, replacing it with cooler air. The advantage of removing hot air from your roof cavity is that moisture build-up is minimised, and the whole house becomes cooler too. Roof vents, fans, and stacks are some of the ways this ventilation process takes place. To make it cost-effective and environmentally friendly, you want to install products that operate on solar panels.

By keeping your home cooler in hot summer months through the use of a solar roof ventilator, you’re reducing the strain on your air conditioning unit. This means lower energy bills at the end of the month. Also, there’s less chance of your HVAC unit breaking down at the most inopportune times resulting in costly repair bills.

Gregor Verbic from Sydney University’s Centre for Future Energy Networks, said the following about home designs, “Open-planned designs – which are increasingly common – can make cooling homes harder. House designs also often fail to maximise things like cross breezes and other forms of ventilation.”

Roof ventilation also means you don’t have to shut your home completely during the hot months while using an air conditioning unit to keep your indoor space cool and fresh. And they’re a simple form of ventilation that would work efficiently in all house designs.

Final Thoughts

Increasing concerns for healthy and safe air in Australian homes and commercial buildings is rising. Consumers are searching for cost-effective and eco-friendly products to mitigate the risk of the pandemic and bushfire smoke toxicity while heating and cooling their homes. Contact our team at Solatube Home to find out how roof ventilation can change the way you use energy for healthier and safer air.

Early October means a big change for many Australians – Daylight Savings Time! So, if you’re in Sydney, we hope you’ve turned all your clocks forward by now. But that shouldn’t be the only change you make each year.

Did you know that with skylights Sydney residents can see a huge change in how they get the most out of their days AND their dollars? We’ll share a few tips to clarify how DST and skylights can relate to each other and how they can benefit your home.

The Value of Skylights

Adding a skylight can increase the amount of natural light entering a building. This means you’re less reliant on artificial light sources, which in turn means lower utility costs.

Solatube’s innovative tubular designs mean you can now channel light into rooms where a skylight wasn’t a feasible solution before. This makes new skylights a valuable investment in almost any home and it’s where Solatube is a market leader.

Skylights and DST

As the hours of daylight are longer, wouldn’t it make sense to utilise this light to your advantage?

Solatube’s Patented Raybender® 3000 Technology allows the dome atop your roof to collect even the lowest angle sunlight. And the Spectralight® Infinity™ tube made from the world's most reflective material delivers the daylight right into your chosen space through a stylish decorative fixture.

Once you have your skylight in place and you can make the most of it during daylight savings time, you’ll be astounded at the results. It starts with what it can do for your utility bill and for many households, the savings quickly make up for the affordable Sydney skylight prices.

Thanks to quality Solatube skylights—and having them in the right place, which Solatube Home’s experts can advise you on—you’ll get the maximum amount of light inside your home during daylight hours. Because the summer months provide us with light for more hours of the day, you now have more opportunities to make light work for you, instead of you needing to switch on an artificial light source.

From doing homework to enjoying your hobby in the garage or making dinner in the kitchen, it can all take place in clear daylight delivered through brilliant skylight technology. Without a skylight, you may feel rooms are too dark for these activities later in the day. But skylights bring enough light flooding in, so you’ll have that ‘daylight-feeling’ for much longer.

The benefits of getting into this routine thanks to having skylights are numerous:

• During daylight savings, more hours of daylight mean more hours of light inside your home
• Lower power costs for households
• Enjoying the healthy benefits that come using daylight rather than artificial light
• Using less power means you’re lowering your carbon footprint

Daylight Benefiting You at Night

You can take this process one step further by opting for add-ons like Nightlight Technology. Solatube’s skylights can be fitted with solar panels so they can absorb the sun’s power during the day and turn it into a power source for lights at night.

Since you’re using fewer lights during the DST season, this is more than enough to light up your spaces at night, meaning you’re using even less power! Once again, your budget and the environment benefit.

Make the Change

Don’t have a skylight yet? Or perhaps you want an upgrade to a modern one? That’s what the Solatube Home team is here for, and we can take less than two hours to get one in place in your home.

We can quote for free online or talk to one of our experts at (02) 9725 5433 if you want advice.