green your grow ($$ & enviro) - tube skylight = lower elec bill!

[ahhhavalanche!]

i ran across these while i was researching products for my parents kitchen remodel, there are a few other posts about them on here but this one has a twist. I ended up gettin the rents the 18" model which this ebay seller says is equivalent to 1000w (probably at noon in bermuda or something, but im sure its bright, havnt seen it yet in the kitchen). But while trolling ebay i found this nifty item (cant post links, do an ebay search for:

(tube*, tunnel) (skylight, solar) exhaust

ebays search shortcuts:
(,,,) --> any of these terms
* --> wildcard (ie this one searches for tube tubes, and tubular)

which combines a tub skylight with an exhaust vent straight out your roof! and i was thinking this is clearly ment to grow with. the link is for the 10" model but im pretty sure you can add the exhaust to any model (and there is no reason not the get the biggest (21" i think=1200w)


I currently live in an appt and the landlord said i couldnt put an 18" hole through the 4 apartments above me so im limited to growing in a carbon emitting cabinet. But if you want to get some free light

the unit might cost a bit, but the install is only supposed to take 2 hrs and is supposed to be real easy for any diy-er... everyone with the space and capability should get one of these

 

[Maculele]

1000 w/ sq. meter is on the high end for the amount of solar radiation that hits the earth at a given space. It's possible, but bends in the tubing will cut down on this, and it's not very practical unless you're willing to make serious mods to your place.
Also, you have to be very very careful any time you make penetrations in your roof. This can cause bigtime problems

 

[OG_TGR]

This is a very old thread but I just wanted to comment that, the ventilated lights of this type are meant for bathroom or kitchen applications. Also, while penetrations through the envelope in any plane can certainly be a huge issue, the sealing technology that accompanies these units is really top notch, and continues to become easier and more fail safe to install. Certainly a much better track record than traditional skylights!!

 

[habeeb]

these should have a good impact if setup properly.

-biggest tube
-no 90 bends
-good location on roof


here's some images I found over at a reef site, as these would work very well I think in a room with think bar led, thin bar floro, or general side lighting bouncing off the walls, as just a general lighting overall.. what I see with these is a 4 tube setup, with a rack on pulleys to lower the rack, so you can get the good light up close, as it does diminish further you go down.. would be great for veg room, or supplemental flower or a small flower setup not dependent on weight at all.

thanks for reviving the thread, as we should see more of these.

 

[OG_TGR]

Glad I dug it up! haha
In general I am a huge proponent of Solatubes, as well as the myriad of copies that are now made. Unfortunately, I think that the realistic numbers when looking at output of the Solatubes is less than promising when looking at the context of a horticultural application of even a reef tank, for that matter.
The other day I found a chart that had different projected output levels compared to potential and although I can't find that particular link at the moment, I did find this one measured and confirmed by the USGBC (2006, what will Leed v4 bring??) and it does show the actual output to be insufficient for successful mj cultivation.
http://www.tubulargeorge.com/pdf/SolatubePerformanceComparisonGraph.pdf
This is considering the 50fc/sqft ratio and therefore assuming that even though the 14" unit outlined here is rated at 6000lumens average and 9100 max lumens, but, there's hope!
As you may or may not have noticed, this particular measurement is for a winter day which means a much greater angle of incidence over the averaged day and therefore less transmitted energy! Even though this is showing a peak at <2300 lumens (where 5000 is the optimal starting point for plants); this is only the "mid-range" size when considering all the sizes available in the "commercial" line (up to 21" and 21,000 lumen est max).
I think the Solatube brand is personally the best and not just because they "invented" the design. Their tube design is peerless in the industry and their QC is impeccable. Their materials and tube construction offer the lowest transmission loss of any light transmission tube (I think something like .03 or .3% transmission loss) and their aperture deigns are proprietary, as opposed to off the shelf Fresnel lens type apertures/lids.
Further, I can't say for sure about the large commercial units like the 750ds but the residential units have a lens that intentionally blocks out mid-day, summer light (direct incidence) due to the harshness and "intensity". Sounds like a good 600-1000 watter over your head? I wonder if this couldn't me modified to no block this light and just "let it all in!"?
I'd love to have one to experiment with, I always have my eye on craigslist!

 

[habeeb]

^ how is it not possible ? I'm showing you pics from reef people ( some very smart folks ) and they don't mess around when it comes to knowledge and there fish. they are lighting there tanks with these, and look at the PAR numbers, some of them are as high as a gavita 1000 at 2 feet.. granted your not going to get that the lower you go, these things can grow, it's just no one has done it yet. if I still owned my house, I would have put these in, but I sold it off as I wasn't feeling the vibe of it..

looking into these more, there 21 inch models! that pic above was a 14 inch model. imagine a 21 inch model.

you can do it if you can imagine it.. can you imagine it? here's some inspiration, as this is on my to do list once I buy a house again ( maybe not anytime soon, as I'm moving out of the country , but I will do this )

 

[habeeb]

700 par, that's more then enough for veg or flower, unless you want some very heavy flowers..

 

[festerous]

How would you flower during the summer or a full moon?

 

[OG_TGR]

700 par, that's more then enough for veg or flower, unless you want some very heavy flowers..

Well you are right there, you could do it and yes, you could also use it for reef systems if considering you are only using it to grow corals like brains, mushrooms, some polyps, etc; and also making sure they are situated very close to the top of the tank and not in the sand of some 3' tall, narrow show tank.
They are being installed to keep living walls alive (better indoor air quality with a tighter envelope) but the plants that are grown there successfully are those with relatively low light (fc/lumens) requirements.
PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) is a different measurement than those that deal with intensity. You can have the proper PAR but without the intensity it could be useless for many plants.
You could grow marijuana with an incandescent bulb, buy why?
My point is, if someone is going to go through the trouble of creating an point of potential water intrusion in their roof/ceiling and spend money to do so, the ROI (in terms of space and money) is probably going to have to be a bit better than what the averaged intensity of the Solatubes can produce. Now, the 21" would be a little more realistic on a very short run (tube length) but even still, you would have to have supplemental lighting on standby at the very minimum.

How would you flower during the summer or a full moon?

During the summer? You mean due to heat issues? Well, the scheduling would counter what most of us would consider after using HID in that you would flower during the day, and control your timing (12/12) with a motorized damper in the tube, which comes as an accessory. Mostly people flower during the night as it is easier to control the temps but, with the cool tubes, the UV and IR is blocked at the lens on the roof and therefore most (proportionate) of the heat from the light is kept out. It's not a total "cool light" solution (as in focused fiber optics) but it is along those lines.

 

[festerous]

Sorry, I must have missed the motorized damper part.
I can't help but ponder that there must be many more ways to harness reflected sunlight.

 

[habeeb]

Well you are right there, you could do it and yes, you could also use it for reef systems if considering you are only using it to grow corals like brains, mushrooms, some polyps, etc; and also making sure they are situated very close to the top of the tank and not in the sand of some 3' tall, narrow show tank.
They are being installed to keep living walls alive (better indoor air quality with a tighter envelope) but the plants that are grown there successfully are those with relatively low light (fc/lumens) requirements.
PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) is a different measurement than those that deal with intensity. You can have the proper PAR but without the intensity it could be useless for many plants.
You could grow marijuana with an incandescent bulb, buy why?
My point is, if someone is going to go through the trouble of creating an point of potential water intrusion in their roof/ceiling and spend money to do so, the ROI (in terms of space and money) is probably going to have to be a bit better than what the averaged intensity of the Solatubes can produce. Now, the 21" would be a little more realistic on a very short run (tube length) but even still, you would have to have supplemental lighting on standby at the very minimum.

well, I can't make you an optimist..

I know what PAR is, I have a li-cor. also what point when were talking about the sun here

intensity can be overcome many ways.. don't grow a plant that tall, SOG / SCROG / topped plant... also in veg this is null as that's more light then most give there garden in veg. want more light, bring in more tubes, plan the room to bring in light from the side walls.. IDK get creative as everyone has done in the pics I've shown you. all it takes is imagination, and belief.


there's really no point in doing anything when you think about it. we do things that don't make sense, because in our hearts it adds up.

I'm not here to be your guru to help you. you don't want to do it, fine. but you've got me started, and the pics confirm all I need , that these will grow as I play with my light meter to know what I'm seeing in the pics. costs aside of building them, it's a great tool to bring into a room if you build the setup from scratch to accommodate the whole setup

these are not HID killers, but I see enormous potential.

 

[OG_TGR]

Lol, I am sure you are misunderstanding my standpoint on the matter. Quite the contrary, I am optomisitc, as well as keenly aware of the properties of lighting, especially in an architectural context. You could certainly use it for a small veg, and effectively but; there is a reason no one has done it with Mj as of now and that reason very simply is: Intensity x 1/distance^2 [Inverse Square Law]. Most likely people have discovered, as I have in researching the potential of utilizing them that, the risk involved in breaching the building envelope and likely negating any insurance policy far outweighs the overall potential. If you read the data supplied by Sulatube, and average out what is available on any given location, you'll come to the same conclusion. It's feasible, but there are many peripheral issues to consider as well.