Sun tunnels or “solar tubes” funnel free, natural light into homes and offices, eliminating the need for health-harming artificial lighting
The average American spends 90% of their time indoors, much of it under the glow of artificial, fluorescent light (LEDs are a form of fluorescent light).
Numerous studies have demonstrated the harmful health effects of fluorescent lighting, including damaged eyesight, stress reactions, nervous system dysregulation, sleep disturbances and melatonin suppression.
Luckily there’s a new (low-tech) technology that requires no electricity and that emits only natural light into your home or workplace.
Sun tunnels, or solar tubes, collect sunlight from all angles on your rooftop and literally funnel it down in through your ceiling.
The sun-ray bending technology works by refracting, reflecting and concentrating solar light into a small tube using mirrors and lenses.
The result is bright, warm diffused light, similar to the look of an incandescent bulb, but with no electricity or cost involved.
You might be wondering why not just install skylights? Because skylights are far more costly to install for comparable amounts of light, and they also transfer more heat into the house, which increases air conditioning costs in the summer.
The lights are great for rooms without windows, or windows facing away from the sun. The multi-faceted glass dome on top catches light from all angles – no matter where the sun is in the sky – and bends it down into your room, providing bright light from sunrise to sunset, summer through winter.
And, not only are they free to “operate,” they can be installed at a fraction of the cost of a window or skylight, around $500 per light.
Some companies even provide sun tunnels equipped with solar-powered soft night lighting, for free lighting around the clock!
Imagine how much money could be saved and carbon emissions could be slashed if adopted on a wide-scale?