Have you been looking into getting a skylight installed in your home? What if we here at Element Comfort Solutions told you that there was something even better than a skylight, something that’s more efficient and cost effective than a traditional skylight? Solatube solar lighting systems are made to harness the power of the sun and run it through your home. Not only are they brighter, but they offer many more benefits than traditional skylights can. Solar lighting is beginning to take off in a market that was ready for a makeover. Keep scrolling to learn more about how Solatube solar lighting is better than traditional skylights and how they can benefit your home.

Traditional Skylights

Skylights have remained unchanged for well over half a century. They have a simple design that mimics a basic window. Skylights can sometimes provide great views, but most of the time they’re placed in a way that only shows the sky. They require you to cut a large, rectangular hole in your ceiling, which is where the large cost of skylights comes into play. A professional has to come out and cut a custom shape out of your house depending on the dimensions of your skylight. On top of installation, the custom frame and glass pane will cost quite the pretty penny. But even after the skylight is installed you could have to pay quite a bit since the components of skylights are prone to breaking while the frame and glass are known to crack due to weathering.

 

Some skylights can open and close, but most models stay firmly closed. If you do get a skylight that has the ability to open, you may have trouble doing so depending on where you put it and what it’s made from. Most skylights don’t come with protective screens, allowing insects and other pests to easily enter your home. Much like a normal window, skylights let in a lot of heat from the sun. In the warmer months, this will cost you extra money on cooling your home. And because skylights let in so much sunlight, your furniture, carpet, pictures, and other household items can fade from sun damage.

Major Disadvantages Of Skylights

  • Skylights are a more costly and time-consuming installation. Compare $3500 (plus) vs $1000
  • Skylight installation require a permit
  • Components can leak easily
  • Skylights gain more heat and cold into the area
  • Traditional skylights provide uneven light that moves as the sun changes position
  • Furniture, flooring, paint and art will fade from uv's not filtered by a skylight
  • Skylight installations requires regular maintenance to ensure longevity

Solatube Solar Lights

An alternative to skylights, Solatube offers many benefits that traditional skylights can’t. Tubular daylighting devices, or TDDs, like Solatube, are also known as tubular skylights or light tubes. But they are so much more than just another skylight. Starting with the components, the materials that go into making a Solatube are not only strong, they’re eco-friendly as well. There are three main components to a Solatube: the lens, the tubing, and the dimmer. The lens, which is made from high-grade, durable glass, captures sunlight from any angle at any time of the year, ensuring that your home will always remain well-lit no matter what time of day or year it is. The reflective metal tubing transfers and delivers the natural sunlight into your home. The dimmer allows you to choose how much light you want in your house.

 

Not only does Solatube allow more light into your home, it does so with an easy installation process and components that last much longer than that of traditional skylights. They’re easily integrated into your ceiling and the design of your home. Because Solatubes can capture sunlight from any angle, you’ll receive consistent solar lighting throughout the day. The tubular daylighting systems also capture more light than a regular skylight. Solatubes don’t allow heat to enter into your house like skylights do, meaning you’ll save money on power by cutting down on lighting and cooling. Your furniture and other household items are safe with a Solatube system, as they filter-out UV rays that are known to cause fading and sun damage.

 

Solatube daylights are made from advanced technology that transfer natural daylight into your home. They’re specifically designed to capture and amplify the light to provide the best all-around, natural daylighting system for your home, office, or building. You can also customize your Solatube with different features, such as a solar-powered night light, ventilation attachments, and decorative fixtures. Solatube lights are truly the most advanced, eco-friendly, and cost-efficient way to light your property. If that isn’t enough, then knowing that you can get a 30 percent federal tax credit for purchasing and installing a Solatube light surely sounds good.

Major Advantages of Solatube Daylights

  • Easy and quick installation
  • Durable materials last longer
  • Capture more sunlight than skylights
  • Filter heat and UV rays
  • Help you save money on electricity
  • Sealed flashing won’t let in unwanted pests
  • Completely customizable
  • Won’t ruin your furniture

Solatube Components

Solatube daylighting devices are all made with high-grade, durable materials that are built to maximize indoor lighting efficiency and last a long time. The lens of each Solatube system is made from high-density glass, which captures natural light from any and every angle. Using Raybender® 3000 Technology, your Solatube lighting system will be able to redirect even the tiniest bit of light into your home to completely illuminate it. Each lens is outfitted with the LightTracker™ Reflector to capture low-angle sunlight in the winter and redirect overpowering midday sunlight in the summer. The lenses on Solatube tubular skylights provide consistent lighting throughout the day and unsurpassed year-round performance.

 

While the lens of the Solatube captures the light, the tubing is what directs it down into the house. Made from specially coated metals, the tubing for Solatubes reflect and direct all sunlight the lens collects into the house below. Delivering 99.7 percent specular reflectivity, Solatube daylighting devices provide the purest color renditions possible so colors are brighter and truer than that of a regular skylight.

 

When the lighting may be too much, simply adjust your dimmer to the amount of light you want. Create warming or softer lighting effects with special effect lenses, or add ventilation and soft or bright lighting for nighttime.

Solatube Customization

Depending on your needs or style, Solatube lights can be customized just for you. You can add features like round or square decorative light fixtures, added dimmers to choose how much light a certain area of your house or room gets, and solar powered night lights to add soft lighting in dark rooms. The experts at Element Comfort Solutions and Solatube know that not every home is the same, that’s why we offer several different ways to customize your solar lights to make them truly unique to your home. Design your custom Solatube daylighting system today and bring brighter, eco-friendly, more efficient lighting into your home, office, or building.

Customizable Add-Ons

  • Decorative light fixtures
  • Ventilation to control humidity
  • Solar powered, soft-light night lights
  • Daylight dimmers
  • LED light add-ons for night
  • Occupancy sensor for added efficiency

If you’re looking into new daylighting devices, then Solatube lighting is the perfect TDD for you. Find the perfect Solatube daylighting system for your home or office by contacting Element Comfort Solutions at our Vancouver area location, or see what other great services Element can offer you for your home.