General questions

• Where can the Solatube daylight system be placed?

  The Solatube daylight system provides daylight almost anywhere. In private spaces such as bathrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and even basements. In utility buildings such as stables, industrial buildings, offices, hospitals, schools, cold stores, and shopping centres. View our projects page for more application options.

• Does the system also work at night?

  No, as soon as it gets dark outside, daylight can no longer be transported. However, a Solatube can be combined with a lighting fixture, so that daylight is replaced with artificial light when it gets dark outside.

• Are there viewing locations where I can see a built-in Solatube?

  In the Benelux and UK we have viewing locations that you can visit to view a built-in Solatube, including our "Solatube Experience Centres". Please contact Techcomlight for a viewing location in your area.

• Can Solatube be combined with artificial lighting?

  Yes. All Solatube systems can be combined with the TechLED, which combines clear daylight with sustainable LEDs. The TechLED system can use a sensor to precisely match the amount of light provided to your needs. The sensor measures both daylight intensity and movement (occupancy). In addition, a lighting fixture with GU10 fitting is available for every system in the range, suitable for LED lamps up to 20 Watts.

• Do Solatube systems come with a warranty?

  For all goods supplied by us - unless a different period has been expressly agreed - the warranty period granted by the manufacturer of the goods applies. We provide a 10-year warranty on parts of the Solatube daylight systems. Components of the Solatube daylight systems are the following products: domes, roof flashings (on which the dome is mounted), ceiling diffusers, ceiling diffuser rings (on which the ceiling diffuser is mounted), reflective parts, sealing materials of plastic, rubber and metal, as well as mounting materials and product gaskets . We provide a 5-year warranty on all other products and parts unless otherwise specified. We provide a 3-year warranty on the TechLEDs and parts of the TechLEDs. Costs of reassembly or the exchange of (LED) light sources remain at the expense of the customer.

• Can the Solatube be ‘closed’ to prevent light from coming in?

  Yes, this can be done in two different ways:

  Manual dimmer:
  The manual daylight dimmer ensures that the ceiling diffuser is closed off with one easy operation and the daylight is blocked. The manual daylight dimmer is applicable when choosing the Classic Vusion or Classic Optiview ceiling diffuser. The standard attachment pole is 590mm long, however this can be extended by increments of 590mm. The manual dimmer is only available for the 25 cm  and 35 cm  Ø Solatube systems.

  Electric daylight dimmer:
  The electric daylight dimmer can be adjusted continuously at the touch of a button. You have full control as to what extent you want to close the daylight tube (up to a maximum dimming capability of 98%). The electric daylight dimmer can be operated by a wall-mounted switch or an optional wireless remote control.

• Does a Solatube system have to be cleaned?

  Solatube systems are designed to be maintenance free. All parts (dome, tube, ceiling diffuser) are sealed to prevent the ingress of dirt and insects. The roof dome has a special coating that repels dirt.

• Are Solatube system components available separately?

  Yes, all parts can be ordered separately.

• Are Solatube systems available that offer fire protection?

  Yes, a range of intumescent fire collars (tested to BS476: Part 20; 1987) is available for applications where the system is required to pass through a floor, ceiling or wall that provides fire separation.

• Does the roof dome of a Solatube stop UV radiation?

  Solatube daylight systems use two technologies to ward off UV radiation and reduce heat from infrared rays. First of all, the polycarbonate outer domes have special UV inhibitors that are designed to block 100% of UVB (290 to 315 nanometers), 100% UVC (100 to 280 nanometers) and 98.5% UVA (315 to 400 nanometers). The second technology relates to the tubes. Spectralight Infinity tubes transmit the visible part of the light spectrum (400 to 760 nanometers). The infrared part (above 760 nanometers) is not reflected by the Spectralight Infinity tube.

• How short can the Solatube system (tube) be?

  The 99.7% reflective tubing can be easily reduced in length during installation to suit any application such as a flat roof or vaulted ceiling.

• What does 99.7% reflective actually mean?

  Reflective material of 99.7% means that only 0.3% of the daylight is lost every time the light reflects in the tube material - and 99.7% of the remaining light continues to travel onwards. So when the light reflects through the tube 20 times to get from one end to the other, a huge 94.17% of the original light is transmitted with Solatube's Spectralight Infinity tube material.

• Does a Solatube work on the north side of the roof?

  A Solatube also works on the north side of a roof, however it performs even better when exposed to direct sunlight. For the best result, install the system in a place where it will receive as much direct sunlight as possible. If a north-facing roof the only option, the upstand height of the roof flashing can be increased so that the dome is raised above the ridge-line to maximize the amount of direct daylight captured and transmitted.