Solatube

I have just read the following article which is really useful if you want to bring light into your home. It is an excellent idea and saves energy too!

Thanks to Climate X website

'One of the more interesting things we decided on is called a ‘solatube’. The solatube is a small dome which sits on the roof and collects natural light, channels it down reflective tubing, and illuminates the room below – completely naturally. Our decision to use one was prompted by the fact that our new bathroom is windowless and we were reluctant to use a light every time we used it - day or night. From the inside all you see is a round frosted skylight, which filters in the light, and takes away the glare – and from the outside, an odd looking dome (which I really like and think is a design statement in itself). I had no idea what to expect from such a product. It cost around £300, but has been worth every penny. You would have to look twice in our bathroom to notice that there are in fact no windows. At dusk the ceiling light looks beautiful and glows a pretty orange color. Under clear skies and a full moon, there is enough shimmer to take the edge off the otherwise complete darkness, enabling me to ‘safely’ stagger to the toilet in the middle of the night! Of all our energy saving tips – this is by far my favorite.'

With imagination this idea could be utilised in so many places. I am now looking into placing one in my stair well which is normally a dark area.