SOLAR TUBES

Living and working in the rainy Pacific Northwest, we know how precious natural light can be. Without windows, the interior rooms and hallways in your house can start to feel dim and dreary during those long, gray winters. That’s why finding creative ways to bring in as much natural light as possible is so important.

For most people, the first solution that comes to mind is installing some skylights. But there’s another simpler, more affordable way to add natural light to your home that you may not have heard of before: solar tubes.

We think solar tubes are a worthwhile investment and we’ve had the chance to install them on a number of renovation projects. If you’re new to solar tubes, here’s what you need to know about how they work, the unique benefits they offer to homeowners, and how they compare to other natural lighting solutions.

What Are Solar Tubes?

Solar tubes are sometimes referred to as sun tubes, light tubes, or sun tunnels. These innovative devices are designed to channel natural light from your roof into the interior of your home. They consist of three main components: a rooftop dome, a highly reflective tube, and a diffuser that disperses the light evenly into the room below.

Here’s how they work:

• Dome: A small, weatherproof dome is installed on the roof to capture sunlight throughout the day, regardless of cloud cover or rain.

• Tube: From the dome, sunlight is channeled down a highly reflective tube made of materials like aluminum or polished steel. This tube acts as a conduit, efficiently guiding the sunlight into your home’s interior.

• Diffuser: Finally, the sunlight reaches a diffuser installed on the ceiling inside your home. This diffuser spreads the natural light evenly throughout the room, eliminating harsh shadows and creating a soft, natural glow.

Benefits of Solar Tubes

When it comes to brightening up your home, solar tubes shine in more ways than one. Here are some of the standout benefits they offer to homeowners:

Simplicity

One of the key advantages of solar tubes lies in their simplicity. Unlike skylights, which require cutting a large hole in your roof and ceiling, solar tubes can be installed with minimal disruption to your home’s structure. They’re also more affordable, making them an attractive option for homeowners looking to brighten up their space without breaking the bank.

Energy Efficiency

In a region known for its overcast skies, every ray of sunlight counts. Solar tubes help you make the most of natural light, reducing your reliance on artificial lighting and lowering your energy bills in the process. By harnessing the power of the sun (even when it’s stubbornly hiding behind all those gray clouds), you can illuminate your home in an eco-friendly and cost-effective way.

Versatility

Unlike traditional windows or skylights, solar tubes can be installed virtually anywhere, making them a versatile lighting solution for any room in your home. Whether you’re looking to brighten up a cramped hallway, a dimly lit bathroom, or even a windowless closet in your primary suite, solar tubes offer a flexible and practical way to bring natural light into any space.

Low Maintenance

Once installed, solar tubes require little to no maintenance, making them a hassle-free lighting solution for busy homeowners. Unlike skylights, which may require periodic cleaning and maintenance to prevent leaks and damage, solar tubes are designed to withstand the elements and provide reliable performance year after year.

Solar Tubes vs. Traditional Skylights

In the previous section, we touched on some of the differences between solar tubes and traditional skylights. But as you weigh these two options, some other factors to consider might nudge you toward choosing solar tubes.

Installation and Structural Impact

When installing a traditional skylight, sometimes the installation complexities go beyond cutting a huge hole in your roof. Depending on your layout and roof, you might have to make additional structural modifications, such as reinforcing the roof framing or adding a light shaft to channel the sunlight into the room below. Solar tubes, on the other hand, typically require minimal structural changes to your home. The tubes can be easily fitted between roof rafters and ceiling joists, often without the need for extensive cutting or framing. This streamlined installation process means less disruption to your home and a faster turnaround time.

Cost

Skylights tend to be more expensive than solar tubes, primarily due to the additional labor and materials required for installation. In addition to the upfront costs, skylights may also require periodic maintenance to prevent leaks and ensure proper insulation, adding to the overall cost of ownership over time. Minimal maintenance and straightforward installation generally make solar tubes quite a bit more cost-effective.

Light Quality and Distribution

Skylights can sometimes create glare and hot spots, particularly during certain times of the day or year when the angle of the sun is more direct. While skylights offer a larger source of natural light, the quality and distribution of light can vary depending on factors such as the size and orientation of the window. With solar tubes, the diffuser at the end of the tube helps to scatter the sunlight, creating a soft, natural glow.

Now, don’t get us wrong—we love skylights! They can be stunning features that bring in tons of light and provide beautiful views of the natural landscape outside your home. There are plenty of instances where a skylight might be the right choice for your home renovation project. But if any of the points above resonate with you or make sense for your home, then you should definitely consider solar tubes as an option if you haven’t before.

An Inside Look at Solar Tube Installation

We recently worked on a project where the client wanted to bring more natural light into the parts of their home that didn’t have any existing windows, specifically the hallway and primary bathroom. They were hoping to minimize impacts to the roof and ceiling framing, as well as keep the exterior profile on the roof simple and clean. We immediately thought solar tubes would be a great option.

Below, we’ve shared some photos from this project so you can see exactly what goes into each phase of solar tube installation. Let’s start at the top. Literally.

Picture 1: Solar tube domes on roofline

To honor the client’s wishes to keep the rool profile simple, we used a low-profile dome that’s “ideal for capturing sunlight for south-west and south-east facing roofs and has a parallel design intended to blend with the roofline,” according to Velux, the manufacturer of the “Sun Tunnels” we used for this project. Picture 1 above illustrates the minimal impact on the roofline caused by the lower-profile dome.

Next, we have the tube. Velux Sun Tunnels come in two options: flexible and rigid. Velux recommends flexible tubes when you have to install around obstacles in your loft space and rigid tubes when there is a straight, unobstructed path from the roof to the ceiling. As you can see in Picture 2, a rigid tube made sense for the loft space we were working with. Picture 3 offers a view looking up into the tube, where you can see the reflective metal that channels sunlight down into the home.

Finally, there’s the diffuser. Picture 4 shows the diffuser sitting flush against the ceiling, providing a clean, finished look. In Picture 5, you can see how the diffusers spread the light evenly and create a natural, warm glow. Seriously, solar tubes are so cool once you see them in their final form!

Since installing the solar tubes, our client has been raving about the amount of light they pour into the space. They also help the space feel spacious and minimal. The simplicity of the interior trim keeps the ceiling looking elegant and doesn’t draw too much attention upwards, which is especially helpful for shorter ceilings.

We’re Here for All Your Solar Tube Questions

Whether you're interested in adding solar tubes to your home or you have another project in mind, don't hesitate to contact us today to see how we can best support you and your goals. We'd love to hear from you! Our team of design and construction professionals are skilled at successfully executing projects of all sizes, from full remodels to smaller service projects.