Installation work on more than 320 SunPipes at the Latifa School for Girls in Dubai, UAE, is scheduled for completion this month.

The contract for the design, supply and installation was awarded to Edison Lighting (Middle East) and follows hard on the heels of the successful installation of 60 SunPipes at the Rashid School for Boys and many other important contracts in the Middle East.

''The SunPipe is a remarkable energy-free system, which taps into one of the Middle East's greatest natural resources - plentiful sunlight - and is gaining the increasing attention of architects, consultants and potential end-users since its introduction to the Middle East region last year, says a spokesman for the UK-based The Sunpipe Company. ''By the end of this year, it is anticipated that more than 500 SunPipe systems will have been installed in schools, villas, offices and retail projects.''

He continues: ''Consisting of a mirrorfinish aluminium tube which reflects sunlight down into the building, SunPipes are supplied in 10 different diameter sizes with acrylic domes externally. A sealed silverised tube, which can twist and turn, carries the daylight to virtually any part of the interior terminating in a polycarbonate ceiling diffuser, which evenly distributes light throughout the area to be lit up to daylight level.

''The SunPipe has considerable advantages over conventional skylights in a region where glazing is often 'covered up' with blinds/curtains during daylight hours due to the year-round problems of substantial heat gain and glare. These phenomena result in the often needless use of electrical lighting during the day and subsequently unnecessary inflated energy bills.

''The SunPipe, however, offers daylight but without associated solar gain.

''The composition of the SunPipe system is such that radiant heat remains at the top of the system, resulting in negligible heat transfer to the room or space below, even in the harsh summer months. This, in turn, can help to reduce the cooling load of a building, a factor that is especially important in the Middle East.

''Working under a SunPipe is a truly pleasant experience as the internal ceiling diffuser provides an even distribution of natural light, without the 'bright spots' often associated with skylights.

''The SunPipe also boasts three to four times the light output of a similar-sized skylight, because natural daylight is intensified and reflected down the SunPipe tube.

''The SunPipe can also be used to provide natural light for bathrooms and dressing rooms, where skylights are usually avoided due to privacy considerations. The full spectrum of natural light afforded by the system results in improved colour rendering over the standard fluorescents which are often employed in such areas.

''Where only a single light source is required, the SunPipe can be fitted with a low-voltage integral light kit, which facilitates 24hour operation.''

The SunPipes were exhibited at the Big 5 Show held in Dubai late last month.

The Sunpipe Company is a division of Monodraught Limited, for which Edison Lighting is the exclusive agent in the Middle East.