Learn More About Light Tubes | Light Pipes
Light Tubes or Light Pipes are used in energy
efficient buildings and residences to transport natural sunlight
from the roof of a structure into the building delivering free,
clean, natural sunlight where required.
Since Light tubes use no power (Other than the power of the sun)
then they can be considered carbon neutral light sources.
Light Tubes are also known as Sun Pipes, Solar Pipes, Solar Light
Pipes and Daylight Pipes.
Light Tube Installation
Looking below, you can see how, in principle, how a Light tube is
installed into a building. The main reflective conduit or light tube
is installed from the roof, through the building structure, then to
the point where the natural lighting is required. Sunlight enters
from the roof via the light tube dome, it then is transported via
the light reflective conduit to the diffuser where the light finally
exits and illuminates the room.
Light Tube Dome / Cowl
The light tube dome both collects the suns light and also acts as a
protective cover to stop any rain entering the reflective conduit.
The light tube dome is made from vacuum formed PVC material. I have
read that some manufacturers use a Frensel Lens instead of a PVC
dome to help capture the suns rays. The end result will be much the
same.
Light Tube Diffuser
The light tube diffuser is designed to spread the natural sunlight
around the room and eliminate hot spots. Natural sunlight gives a
better spectrum spread than does artificial lighting from
Fluorescent, Compact Fluorescent (CF) or LED lighting. The closest
match to natural sunlight is resistive lighting as in Filament lamps
or Tungsten lighting. They are aesthetically pleasing to the eye but
extremely energy inefficient.
