Solar Heat Gain – What Is It and How It Affects Your Home

Having a bright and cheerful home that is illuminated by natural light satisfies the human need for exposure to sunlight and the positive impact it has on metabolic health. However, there is also often a fear that lighting a home using only sunlight will increase the interior heat making the house uncomfortable which in turn will require more air conditioning use (along with higher utility bills). The increase in indoor heat because of higher thermal loads is known as solar heat gain. This is one of the main reasons why people are often reluctant to install skylights in their homes. The benefits of skylights are well known, but the perceived negatives of solar heat gain may counter the positives. This is why the use of solar tubes, or tubular skylights is such a great option.

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC)

SHGC is the way the effectiveness of a product in blocking out heat from the sun is measured. While traditional skylights allow a significant amount of solar heat to pass through and increase the indoor heat load, tubular skylights do not. These devices work by using special roof-mounted light collectors to capture available sunlight. This light is then transmitted through special reflective tubes to the interior spaces of the house, including those where traditional skylight installation is not viable. The light is then diffused through the interiors using ceiling-mounted light fixtures. This is the general principle on which all tubular skylights work. However, that does to mean that all of these devices are equal in terms of light transmission and also in controlling solar heat gain.

The Solatube Advantage

Solatube’ s roof-mounted sunlight collectors collect the maximum amount of sunlight while allowing only the minimum amount of heat to pass through. This pure sunlight is then transmitted using the company’s patented Spectra light Infinity Tubing which, in combination with other technological innovations, ensures that only the visible spectrum of light, in the 400 to 760 nanometre range, is allowed to pass through. Infrared (IR) wavelengths above 900 nanometres, which is where the heat gain is maximized and transmitted, are blocked. The result is a house filled with pure natural light but not with unwanted heat.

Also Read: Summer Is a Great Time to Upgrade Your Home

With global warming making summers hotter and the high cost of electricity, installing Solatube tubular skylights is a great choice. They can be installed in any home in a matter of a few hours and no structural modifications are required. The light can be carried to the interior areas of the house where electric lighting was previously used all the time. Solatube Tubular skylights have various add-on options that increase their versatility and usefulness. These include dimmers to control the brightness, ventilation kits and light add-on kits to enable the same light fixtures to be used with electricity once the sun goes down. Solatube is the acknowledged world leader in daylighting technology and products. If you want to learn more about the economic, health and environmental benefits of installing Solatube Tubular Skylights in your home, and you live in the Bay Area, all you need to do is visit the website of Sunlight Concepts, the Solatube Premier Dealer for the area, or call (408) 215-7168 to ask for a free consultation where you can get all your questions answered and be given all the information you need to make the informed purchase decision that can transform your home. You can also find out all you need to know about the tax rebates that make these daylighting devices such a financially attractive proposition.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is solar heat gain?
    Solar heat gain refers to the increase in indoor temperature caused by sunlight entering through windows or skylights.
  2. What is SHGC in skylights?
    SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient) measures how much solar heat is transmitted through a product like a window or skylight.
  3. How do Solatube tubular skylights reduce solar heat gain?
    Solatube uses Spectra light Infinity Tubing and filters to block infrared heat while allowing only visible sunlight to pass through.
  4. Are tubular skylights better than traditional skylights?
    Yes, tubular skylights reduce heat gain, are easier to install, and can bring natural light into spaces traditional skylights can’t reach.
  5. Can Solatube skylights help save on energy bills?
    Absolutely. By reducing the need for electric lighting and minimizing heat gain, they help lower both lighting and cooling costs.