Solar Tube Skylights
Introduction to Tubular Skylights
A solar tube skylight is a tubular skylight. Tube style skylights are a very a cost-effective way to add natural light in your home. They are quickly and easily installed in a couple of hours to bring in pure light to any dark areas of your home.
Many homeowners have a room or an area that is lacking in natural light. This can be a significant challenge in homes in new estates. The smaller bocks of land means that houses can be built up to 900mm from each side fence. The neighboring house is just 900mm from the other side of the fence.
This closeness severely restricts the amount of natural light entering the side windows of the home. Even on sunny days this makes the home dark inside requiring electric lights to relieve the gloom.
SolarBright is a leading manufacturer of tubular skylights in Australia. Our MaxLight range of tube skylights have helped thousands of home-owners beat these challenges and light their homes naturally and easily.
How Does a Solar Tube Skylight Work?
A solar tube skylight consists of 3 main components: The dome on the roof to collect the light, the tube to reflect the light downward, and the diffuser in the ceiling to disperse the light into the room.
The Dome: A clear dome is mounted on the roof to capture the sunlight and direct it into the skylight. The specially designed Ray-Catcher dome with our MaxLight tubular skylight can catch the sun from all angles even when the sun is lower in the sky. Its shape makes it hail-resistant.
The Tube: This the “solar” tube of the skylight. The MaxLight tube is the only tube available made highly reflective anodised aluminium. The tube reflects the pure sunlight downwards toward the room. In some other solar tube style skylights, the metal tube is lined with a stick-on reflective plastic coating. However, this lining degrades from exposure to ultra-violet light, and can peel off, diminishing the performance of the tube.
Also avoid skylights that have flexi concertina style tube. The have poor light reflectivity. Although they are cheaper, the lighting outcomes are below par compared to a metal tube.
The Diffuser: Mounted in ceiling of the room this is the “lens” that directs and disperses the light through the room. The MaxLight diffuser has a three-layer lens to let in the light and keep out the heat. Many other tube brands will only have only a one or two-layer diffuser.
The Advantages of Tubular Skylights
A tube style skylight offers several major advantages over a traditional roof window skylight.
Energy Rated
The MaxLight tube skylight is energy rated, with the triple leans diffuser letting in pure light and keeping out the heat on hot days.
Cost effective
Solar tube skylights are very cost effective compared to traditional roof skylights. A smaller 250mm diameter solar tube style skylight such as our MaxLight ML250, can be purchased and installed for around $1000.
The cost effectiveness of the tube skylight comes from the ease and quickness of installation.
Let’s look at this aspect in more detail.
Ease of Installation
A traditional skylight is complex and expensive to install with some days of skilled labour with associated costs. Several different trades are used and can be spread over a couple weeks depending on trade availability and cost
Firstly, a large opening is cut in the roof by a carpenter and framed to fit the skylight. Another opening is cut into the ceiling and framed. This often means cutting through ceiling rafters which require reinforcing to prevent sagging. The shaft through the roof must be framed and a plasterer is needed to line it. Then it needs painting to match the ceiling.
In contrast a MaxLight tube skylight installation is sheer simplicity. It takes a single technician a couple of hours and costs around $250. On a metal roof a hole is cut to match the diameter of the tube. On a tile roof, 1 tile or 4 tiles are removed (depending on the tube size) and the seamless waterproof flashing is installed.
A hole is cut in the room ceiling and the diffuser with decorative trim is fitted– no painting required. The tube is lowered through the flashing down to the diffuser fitting and attached. The diffusor lens is then installed. All finished in a couple of hours with minimal disruption to you.
See the Difference
Before & After Tube Skylight Install
Watch the MaxLight video to learn more about MaxLight skylighs. You will a see MaxLight installation and the difference tube skylights make in a modern home.
The addition of MaxLight skylights turn darkness into light. Before installation the lights needed to be on during the day to light some rooms in the home.
This project involved SolarBright team installing two MaxLight ML250’s to transform the hallway with natural light. Two larger ML400’s brighten up the main living and dining area. The This project was completed in just one day.
The video shows the installation in progress as well as the rooms before and after the skylight install.
Viewing Time: 1 minute 50 seconds
Watch MaxLight VideoFree Skylight Consultation
Contact us today if you would like more information or to organise an obligation free skylight consultation.
Choosing the Right Sized Tube Skylight
The MaxLight range of skylights come in two tube diameters – 250 and 400mm.
The MaxLight ML250 is perfect for light smaller spaces or rooms such as:
- Bathrooms
- Laundries
- Smaller kitchens
- Smaller bedrooms
- Walk in wardrobes
- Hallways – in longer hallways two maybe required.
The larger ML400 is perfect for light larger spaces and rooms such as:
- Larger bathrooms and kitchens
- Dining rooms
- Living areas
- Larger hallways.
MaxBeam24 Optiion
Create a Day & Night Skylight
The addition of a MaxBeam24 kit to a MaxLight tubular skylight creates a complete 24 hour lighting solution for your home.
The smart, Australian designed MaxBeam consists of a small solar panel with a built-in battery that is mounted on the roof. An LED light ring is fixed in the skylight tube just above the diffuser in the ceiling.
During the day the the solar panel charges the battery. At night the battery powers the LED light to light the room. With a remote control you can adjust the light levels as required and there is a motion sensor controlled auto on/off function.
The MaxLight and the MaxBeam24 together create Australia’s most advanced day and night solar tube skylight lighting system.
MaxBeam 24 Brochure