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FEBRUARY 07 - HEALTHY APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE BUILD

A new document outlining ways of helping reduce energy usage- and improve health- by harnessing natural resources in buildings has been published.

The white paper, “Natural Daylighting with Tubular Rooflights- Contributing to Sustainable Building Design”, has been produced by Glidevale Ltd and outlines guidance on calculation of light levels, optimisation of natural daylight within both domestic and commercial buildings, and contribution of natural light towards achieving Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) and EcoHome ratings. As well as addressing the sustainability benefits of natural light, the document outlines the additional impact of the resource on health and wellbeing.

Nick Beswick, Glidevale Sales Director, observes, “There is huge emphasis now on sustainability primarily as part of the Government drive to reduce energy usage through concern over global warming and as part of the Kyoto Agreement. There is a further benefit with natural daylight in particular, which is increasingly being acknowledged: that of its impact on our health and wellbeing.

Research shows well, naturally-lit environments improve performance from staff and students, accelerate hospital patient recovery and help create a general feeling of wellbeing, to the extent that the BREEAM modules credit points, under both the Energy and Health & Wellbeing sections, for incorporation of good natural daylighting and the inclusion of tubular rooflights such as Sunscoop to achieve that.”

Glidevale’s Sunscoop uses a circular roof mounted clear dome to transmit daylight down a highly reflective tube into rooms and corridors below. Tests at the Silsoe Research Institute showed even the smallest 250mm diameter standard SunscoopSR95 gives up to four times more light than a single 60W bulb without a shade on a clear summer day with direct sunlight. The largest 530mm dia Sunscoop yields over eight times the light of a single 60W bulb in those same sunny conditions, and over double the amount in the overcast conditions.

Glidevale Sunscoop can be fitted to pitched or flat roofs, new build or refurbishment, and incorporates a range of roof flashings in a choice of colours to optimise ease of fitting and blending with the roof fabric. For pitched roofs there is also the option of an in-line or traditional skylight roof flashing.

The Sunscoop glazing and flashings are all AA fire rated, enabling use without restriction in number, spacing, position or proximity to neighbouring properties.

Download - 'Natural Daylighting with Tubular Rooflights' Pdf >

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