User manual | DAYLIGHT Officially the brightest sun tube

I S S U E
T W O
DAYLIGHT
Bathrooms
Landings
Kitchens
Hallways
Living Rooms
En Suites
Solarspot, natural
daylight solutions for
Windowless
Officially
the brightest
sun tube
The UK’s only independent
test report
Let the daylight
flood in…
bathrooms &
en suites
Dark halls &
landings
Lifeless living
rooms
Solarspot, delivering natural light into the heart of your home - more daylight, guaranteed
Introducing Solarspot
The world’s brightest tubular daylight system
A Solarspot® is the brightest tubular daylight system you
can buy for your home - and you’ll notice that we say
daylight and not sunlight. The system is so efficient that
it will light your home on overcast days as well as sunny
days and will even perform well in the rain.
No other system uses the combination of patented
technologies and cutting edge materials to deliver more
light through a tube than any other manufacturer - in all
weather conditions, anywhere in the world.
Don’t just take our word for it. On the back of this
brochure you’ll find a summary from an
independent test carried out by the world
renowned BRE (Building Research Establishment)
that proves a Solarspot system will give you
around 69% more light that the ‘next best’
system of a similar size, and more than 20 times
more than a flexible duct unit.
Here’s how it works
The principle of a Solarspot is very simple; a
dome on the roof that harvests daylight, then a
super-reflective tube to transmit the light to a
diffuser at the bottom that spreads the light
evenly around the room.
Solarspot – brighter by design
Solarspot, perfect for
your home
iIndependently tested at
the BRE
iMore light than any other
system - guaranteed
iMaintenance free
i10 year warranty
iPatented technologies
iVegaluxTM, 99.7% reflective
i£ for £, more light than
any other system
At the top
All systems need a clear cover on the top to
protect against the weather. But unlike other
systems, the Solarspot dome has some simple,
but clever, patented technology that actually
captures light. The dome contains an RIR® lens
that performs two functions. The first is to
captured direct sunlight and redirected into the
tube, whilst on overcast days, when light hits the
dome from all directions, it allows the light to
pass through it, refracting it down into the tube –
ensuring the maximum light is harvested
regardless of weather conditions.
There is also a secondary lens in the dome,
the Convas®, that protects the system against
condensation. In addition, all of our domes are
impact tested to the highest standards to resist
anything that the British weather can throw out.
Flashings
With any product fitted onto your roof, it’s vital
that it integrates successfully to provide a
weather-proof junction for the tube to fit into.
That’s why Solarspot flashings are produced as
leak-proof, one-piece units with options for tiles,
slates, metal or flat roofs.
In the middle – the tube
All Solarspot systems use Vegalux rigid tubes
with a reflective value of 99.7% - the most
reflective material in the world. This allows more
light to be transmitted through narrower pipes
and across greater distances.
At the bottom – the diffuser.
The diffuser performs four roles; protect the tube
from dust and dirt, shield against UV rays,
prevent the transfer of hot or cold air, and
distribute the light evenly around the room.
Landings and stairs
Solarspot D-38,
daylight solutions
for larger landings
Paul and Jean had been in their four
bedroom detached house for a
number of years, and whilst they were
proud of their home, the dark landing
and stairwell had always been an
issue.
said Paul,
For most landings we’d recommend
the smaller D-25 system but for this
galleried landing the best option was
the larger D-38.
The larger D-38 (375mm diameter)
unit is able to deliver roughly 70%
more daylight and is perfect for
spaces up to 22 square meters or
more. Paul and Jean also opted to fit
the integrated electric light kit with
low energy lamp unit.
said Paul,
The Solarspot D-38 is ideal for all
larger spaces and can transmit
daylight for distances of up to 11
metres into the heart of your home.
Solarspot D-25,
the perfect landing
solution
If your landing is of more modest
proportions, the smaller D-25 unit will
give you all of the daylight you need.
At only 250mm in diameter, this unit is
capable of lighting spaces up to 12
square meters whilst fitting through
virtually any roof structure without the
need for any alterations.
Despite it’s compact size, the
D-25 is still able to deliver light over
distances of more than six meters.
The recipe for a brighter kitchen
Daylight solutions for kitchens of all sizes
” said Michael, “
.”
“
When Michael and Diane decided
that it was time for a new kitchen,
units and work surfaces were not top
of the agenda. The couple had lived in
their Berwick-upon-Tweed home for
some time and had previously
installed another light tube system to
try and combat the acute lack of
natural light in the room.
“
Solarspot D-25
Perfect for brightening smaller kitchens or
dark corners of larger rooms
Not every customer needs a ‘total’ daylighting
solution for their kitchen. In some cases it can
simply be that there is a dark corner that needs
attention or the back of a long galley kitchen
that the daylight doesn’t reach.
This cottage kitchen had a very dark corner
that was in desperate need of some daylight.
The issue was that the kitchen had a room
above rather than loft space, so the tube was
ducted through a small cupboard on the
upstairs landing and then up into the roof void.
Despite being only 250mm in diameter, the
super-efficient Solarspot D-25 is still capable of
lighting areas of up to 12 square meters,
making it perfect for bringing daylight into
dark corners of otherwise adequately lit rooms.
“
.”
.”
Michael and Diane instructed their
local installer to do the work prior to
the kitchen refurbishment so that all
of the important decisions for colours,
units, work surfaces etc., could be
made in natural light conditions.
“
” exclaimed Michael
“
”
Daylight
for
living
Twin D-38 systems
provide impressive
solution for this
previously dark
living room.
When Sheila and Chris brought their
retirement bungalow, the only
downside to the property was the lack
of natural light in the living living
room.
The couples’ initial thought was to
install large Velux-style windows - as
the ceiling was vaulted this should
have been a relatively straight forward
job. But after consulting a local
builder it seems that the process was
not quite as straight forward. There
was an unexpected void between the
roof and vaulted ceiling meaning that
the installation of traditional roof
windows would have been a major job.
said Chris,
Main picture: Twin Solarspot D-38s located in the vaulted ceiling transform a
previously dark space into a bright living area.
Below: Roof flashings and domes harvesting the light on this west-facing roof.
So Chris took to the internet and
came across the Solarspot system.
”
Showering you
with daylight
If you have a dark, windowless en suite or shower room
you are not alone. With more of us extending the homes
that we are in, the bath or shower room is often left in
darkness as other rooms take priority for daylight.
And if you live in a new-build house, then your bathroom or en suite was probably never even designed with
a window in mind as there is no requirement under
planning rules to include natural light in these areas of
a building.
This was exactly the case for one customer in her
Milton Keynes bungalow. Due to the layout of the
building there was no wall that could accommodate a
window, leaving the room feeling more like a cupboard
than a shower room.
Fortunately, Susie had a friend who had a similar
situation and had remedied it with a Solarspot®.
The Solarspot D-25 is the perfect choice for most en
suites and bathrooms. Despite being only 250mm in
diameter, the compact Solarspot D-25 is able to provide
enough light for spaces up to 12 square meters. The D-25
is small enough to fit through even the narrowest standard
joist gaps and can transmit light along a tube up to seven
meters in length.
Electric light
kits for night
time use
We often find that when we come to
fit a system, the best position for the
diffuser is where the existing electric
light is already located. Rather than
being a problem, this is a great
opportunity to install an integrated
electric light fitting that allows the
system to carry on delivering light
even when it gets dark.
The fitting simply fits into the
tube and is covered by the diffuser
for seamless integration into your
ceiling. It can then be switched on
and off as required.
Daylight solutions for
dark bungalow halls
Bungalow hallways are notoriously dark. Locked within
the heart of the building the only way to allow daylight in,
for most people, is to leave the internal doors open, not
great for energy efficiency.
Stephen, from Helnsburgh in Argyll & Bute, contacted
us to see if we felt the addition of a Solarspot would
improve the light levels in this large central lobby area of
his home. Stephen opted for for two D-25 (250mm
diameter) units to give an even spread of light across the
entire space.
Seamless flashings for a
leak-proof roof
For most people, the most daunting,
and possibly off-putting, aspect to
fitting a tubular daylight systems is the
integration with their roof. The thought
of cutting a hole in a perfectly good
roof can be a little scary.
At Solarspot we make a range of
flashings specifically designed to fit
UK roof types. All of our flashings are
manufactured with a single main
seamless body that has no joints that
can leak.
Flashings for pitched roofs are
moulded from ABS or uPVC and are
available in angled or parallel form,
ensuring that we supply you with the
best option for your roof, regardless of
pitch or aspect. All pitched roof
flashings are supplied with expanded
foam seals to prevent driving water or
bird ingress (except for slate roof
versions). In addition, a malleable,
self-adhesive weathering strip is
bonded to the lower edge of the
flashing that moulds into the profile of
the roof tile to prevent water ingress
and wind-lift.
For flat roofs we are able to offer a
standard flat roof flashing or, if
required, we can supply flashings for
pre-formed curbed up-stands. These
flashings are available either as a
standard size or can be ordered to fit
existing or specialist curbs.
Photos, left:
Centre:
Above:
Officially brighter.
Independent BRE test results prove that
the brightest sun tube is Solarspot
60%
®
Compare the Solarspot with the
Solatube; in a side-by-side installation,
the Solarspot D-38 would deliver
around 69% more light than the
Solatube 290DS.
Conclusive proof that if you want
to ensure the maximum amount of
It’s all in the technology:
The Solarspot® dome
30%
The dome is completely clear, allowing
the maximum amount of light to enter
the tube without interference from ‘so20%
called’ light harvesting prismatic
lenses which can actually block out
more light than they capture.
RIR™ Light Funnel
10%
To maximise light capture in the
Solarspot, we use our patented RIR®
light funnel technology. At the start
and end of the day the RIR reflects
low-level light into the system. As the
sun gets higher in the sky, or on
overcast days, there are no
obstructions to daylight entering the
top of the tube – maximising light
capture in all weather conditions.
Vegalux® light transfer technology
With an unsurpassed light reflectivity
of 99.7%, our VegaluxTM tubing and
extension systems are able to deliver
more light, for longer distances than
any other tubular daylight system.
Buying with confidence - more light for your home
No other system will deliver as much light to your home through an
equivalent size or length of pipe.
Solarspot is the only system that offers you such a complete package
of patented light capture and delivery technology, making it Europe’s
number one system for maximum daylight delivery.
SUNPIPE 450 - 43%
40%
SOL ARSPOT D-38 - 57%
So what does that mean in terms
of how much extra light you will
get?
natural light for your home, the
brightest choice is Solarspot.
So why is the performance of the
Solarspot significantly greater than
that of its rivals?
SOLATUBE 290DS - 40%
You’ve decided that you need more
natural light in your home and a sun
tunnel looks like your best option. The
problem is, which one do you choose?
Cheap or expensive, rigid or flexible,
the choice is mind boggling. Do you
go for something based on price, and
hope for the best, or take a more
scientific approach to ensure that you
get the brightest system for your
home?
To help, we asked the Building
Research Establishment (BRE) to test
the Solarspot system against the
comparable offerings from
Monodraught® and Solatube®. The
results from this highly respected and
independent body is clear.
The BRE tested our Solarspot D-38
against the equivalent product from
Solatube and Sunpipe®. The efficiency
(brightness) of the Solarspot was
shown to be 57% versus 40% and 43%
(respectively) for the other two
competitor products.
50%
In conclusion - taken from the
BRE report, number 280962
14 August 2012
Taking the three double/single
glazed tubes, the Solarspot with
Convas lens product had the
highest transmittance, 0.57,
compared to 0.43 for the
Monodraught Sunpipe and 0.40
for the Solatube.
In relative terms, it was 33% more
efficient than the Monodraught at
transmitting light, and 44% more
than the Solatube.
UK Distribution for Solarspot Daylighting Systems
Syneco Limited, Suite 138/A, The i:Centre, Howard Way,
Interchange Business Park, Newport Pagnell MK16 9PY
T: 01908 299117
F: 01908 299124 E: [email protected]
www.solarspot.co.uk

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