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Let's put the wind and sun to work | 3 Dec 2004 |
If needs must …..’ they tell us that one day our electricity supplies will run out! Indeed, in many countries throughout the world, electricity supplies are already limited to just a few hours a day. Power cuts, something we thought was a thing of the distant past, we are now being told is now a reality of everyday life. We must, therefore, make a positive change in direction to take on board 'alternative technologies' rather than wait for ‘doomsday’. After all, in Victorian times and even long before that, everybody had to improvise to find ‘alternative means’ of natural ventilation, etc., but it is only in these modern days that we have perhaps fooled ourselves into relying too heavily on fossil fuelled energy to provide mechanical air conditioning. It is up to all of us who work within the building industry services sector to encourage our Clients, our Local Authorities, our Architects, and our Paymasters that they must adopt a forward thinking approach to these ‘alternative technologies’ and make plans now, rather than wait for energy to run out.
Of course there are limitations in the performance of natural ventilation systems and natural daylight and it does mean that we have to adapt. Professor Clements-Croome, Head of Construction Services at Reading University has written some excellent Papers and text books on the ‘adaptive approach’, explaining how people do adapt to their surroundings and how reasonable comfort levels are indeed achievable by using natural based systems. It is not even a question of having to educate people, it is just a question of making sure people are not so ‘molly coddled’ but just make sure that they wake up to the reality that natural ventilation and natural daylighting are here to stay and can be relied upon rather than scorned as ‘ineffective’. At Monodraught, our Offices at High Wycombe are served entirely by SunPipes and Windcatcher natural ventilation systems, eliminating the need for electric lighting during daytime use and eliminating the need for air conditioning
Even throughout this long, hot summer, we have not experienced any overheating or any need for air conditioning. Our Offices and Stores total 7,000sq.ft and we have proved to our visitors and staff alike that natural ventilation and SunPipes do work in practice and the obvious savings are considerable.
They say ‘charity starts at home’ and in this day and age, every householder is looking to save a few pennies and what better way, than to save the cost of having electric lights on during the daytime than to install some Monodraught SunPipes!
So many people have a dark landing or hallway, a kitchen or bathroom, or even where lights have to be kept on all day long, even when it is bright sunshine outside! The ability to pipe in natural daylight and sunshine into virtually any part of your home or office has been incredibly popular over the last five years by utilising SunPipes.
Monodraught’s latest release, the Square SunPipe, not only captures more light at roof level and funnels that light down into a standard SunPipe system but the Square SunPipe fits virtually flush with the roof, so it looks like a conventional skylight. However, this new Square SunPipe also possesses the incredible mirror-finish pure silver base aluminium lining that reflects and intensifies daylight and sunlight down into the room below. There is virtually no limit to the lengths of SunPipe that can be used on bends that can be utilised, so the SunPipe can twist and turn, avoiding any water tanks or structural timbers within the roof space, so as to bring the SunPipe to exactly where you need it. If you want to take the SunPipe down to the ground floor, it is usually possible to take the SunPipe down through an inside cupboard or to disguise it as a part of the wall structure.
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Monodraught Ltd
Halifax House
Cressex Business Park
High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
HP12 3SE
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A typical area where lights are often left on all day and where energy saving can be achieved is on internal stairs and hallways, where so often the staircase does not have a window to the outside world and yet, staircases are probably the most important of all places to be well lit! One of the major advantages of SunPipes is that normally there is no requirement for structural alterations. The SunPipes fit easily between existing rafters or joists. Even the Square SunPipe is designed to fit between roof trusses at 600mm centres without any cutting or trimming.
The need for energy conservation extends not just through the home but also to the office and workplace but as the saying goes, all good things often start at home! Monodraught are now selling more than 1,000 SunPipes per month and so often, once people have had them installed in their homes and they see the benefits at first hand, they often take this knowledge to work, or to their schools or offices. So much repeat work with these amazing lightpipes comes as a result of recommendation. Not only is there energy conservation to be had but also there are considerable health benefits.
So what of the future? Monodraught launched their Diamond domes for their two most popular sizes, 12” and 18” diameter SunPipes, at the Ideal Home Show in March 2002 and they proved so popular that Diamond domes are now being introduced to the complete range of SunPipe systems. A new size, a 9” diameter Diamond dome SunPipe is due to be launched in September. All Diamond domes are covered by a unique Patent, which
provides for additional prisms around the circumference of the dome, which captures more light in the mornings and late afternoons and reflects that light down into the SunPipe. Furthermore, the flat facets of the
Diamond SunPipe themselves capture more light and this increases performance.
Natural ventilation is probably an even greater subject to be debated but the short answer is that Monodraught Windcatcher natural ventilation systems have been proved over the last ten years to certainly eliminate the need for air conditioning but more importantly, to provide a much healthier environment, bringing in fresh air from the top down roof mounted natural ventilation systems.
All this adds up to a very powerful argument pioneered by Monodraught to incorporate natural light through SunPipes and natural ventilation through Windcatchers on virtually every type of Project throughout the building services industry. Monodraught continues to lead the field in the development of renewable energy products, with a close association with Nottingham University and their new School of Sustainable Engineering. Monodraught’s aim is to search continually for opportunities to develop and promote the application of effective natural and low energy systems for the benefit of our environment and for the ultimate benefit of buildings for the future.
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