If you are looking for a natural lighting source for your house, you can consider installing sun tunnels, which are also known as solar pipes. It has several benefits, such as energy efficiency, convenience, and lower risk. However, what are the drawbacks to solar tube lighting? Is it an actual effective solar energy solution? Let’s find the answer in our post!
What is Solar Tube Lighting?
For newer users who are not familiar with solar tube lighting, here is our overall description before going to the concern: What are the drawbacks to solar tube lighting?
In general, it is a 10-inch sheet-metal tube and is also referred to as daylight pipes or light tubes. In terms of working, natural daylight goes inside your house through the rooftop and brightens the dark areas with soft lights. This appliance is used effectively in some windowless places such as the kitchen, bathroom, closet, stairways, and laundry room.
What Are The Drawbacks to Solar Tube Lighting?
Despite bringing several advantages such as electricity-saving and easy installation, solar tunnels are considered not an efficient lighting system in the market these days. Therefore, it is better to figure out “What are the drawbacks to solar tube lighting?” before making a purchase decision. Let’s go through some limitations listed below for your advice.
One Source of Energy
As per the previous definition, the solar tube lighting system produces the natural lights via sunlight source only. This action creates an unstable power supply and becomes a problematic situation when rain or other bad weather conditions appear. So, in this case, you need to use indoor charging equipment called a hybrid system to reserve alternative energy resources for the unwanted type of weather.
No Remote Control Function Over Lighting
In terms of the control equipment, a remote or control system is used in other light bulbs, but you can not see with solar tube lighting. Instead, you only have a chance to increase or reduce the light amount by using two options of tube sizes. In this case, you only choose between 10-inch and 14-inch diameter tube sizes provided in the market for resolving the lack of lighting control function.
Window film and diffuser are also two pieces of equipment used to reduce the brightness of the light. However, these single factors become an annoying issue and consume a bunch of money on purchasing a high-quality diffuser.
Water Condensation Problem
One of the common issues related to solar tube lighting installation is thermosiphoning. It happens commonly in an area where humidity is high and moist air is easy to get into the solar tube. Time passes, the light’s lifespan is reduced dramatically and your room starts to leak. Moreover, the more water spreads into walls, the more harmful bacteria appear, which is unfavorable for your health.
Not Compatible With Every Roof
Solar tube lighting is produced to fit perfectly in conventional roofs with sloping ranges between 15 and 60 degrees. In terms of material-wise, it works better if roofs are designed with wood or bitumen cobbles.
It is challenging for the other types of roofs that are built with iron sheets or tiles. Additionally, the solar tunnels would not be suitable for roofs designed with steeply, flat, and A-frame structures.
Difficult To Install
One of the essential aspects for users who are considering buying an appliance is the way to set it up. Unfortunately, solar tube lighting is hard to install, and you may need some extra fee for installing if the type of light and tube is an incorrect type.
High Installation Cost
If you are wondering about What are the drawbacks to solar tube lighting, the install cost must be an important aspect too, right? If yes, solar tube lighting is not the best choice for you because the initial setup fee of this system is relatively high, although the overall cost is more affordable.
Not Prevent UV Light
Solar tube lighting installations do not stop noxious Ultraviolet (UV) radiations compared to alternative skylight systems. UV light is one of the main factors that directly affects your health and skin if it enters your house day by day.
In The Nutshell
After reading our post, you now have an overview answer for What are the drawbacks to solar tube lighting, right? From our perspective, although this system is an ideal solution to cut the monthly electricity bills, it also has its problems when installed at your house. However, we hope that the inherent obstacles listed above could give you great advice before deciding to shop.
Thank you for your reading, and see you in our next article!
