Monodraught of the UK will put the spotlight on SunPipes – an innovative daylighting system that brings in the light but keeps the heat out – when the Big 5 show opens this month.

The system was introduced to the UAE five years ago, and has already met resounding success, being specified and used now on projects throughout the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman.
SunPipes consist of an aluminium, silverised, mirror-finish pipe surmounted by a diamond-shaped acrylic dome which is sealed to the roof surface through its own special flashing arrangement. The sealed aluminium pipe terminates in a polycarbonate ceiling diffuser in the room it is designed for, radiating light into the room below but without any heat gain – thanks to a sealed column of air which prevents any heat transfer.
SunPipes offer a host of advantages – hence their popularity in the region, says the spokesman. 
He elaborates: “Throughout the Middle East, buildings have windows but, so often, the blinds are drawn to keep out the fierce sun – and then lights are switched all day long because otherwise it is too dark!
“Not only do SunPipes eliminate the need for electric lighting during the daytime but bring in soft, natural daylight from dawn to dusk, which is far healthier, more restful, and more soothing than electric lighting.  It is for this reason that so many SunPipes have been used in schools and offices throughout the UAE.”
Although 10 sizes of SunPipes are available, the two most popular sizes for the UAE are the 300-mm and 450-mm-diameter units. Typically, a 300 mm-diameter SunPipe can light up an area of 12 sq m and a 450 mm diameter unit can light up an area of 18 sq m to a natural daylight level.  Security bars can also be installed, if necessary, which makes the SunPipes particularly useful for secure establishments, such as police stations and military bases, he points out.
Among the latest projects to use SunPipes is the British School in Abu Dhabi, which is currently nearing completion, where eighty 530-mm diameter SunPipes have been used to light up corridors, classrooms, and teaching areas, and one 1-m-diameter SunPipe is used as a central feature in the library. SunPipes have been used instead of rooflights – providing a saving in cost as well as eliminating the glare that is so often associated with rooflights, thus creating an ideal environment for both pupils and teachers.
“SunPipes are also being extensively used on new villas throughout the region, particularly for dressing rooms and bathrooms,” says the spokesman.
“Not only are SunPipes totally secure but also afford total privacy and, at the same time, pipe in natural light, which everyone appreciates for their dressing room! Traditional rooflights and skylights are usually avoided on villas because of the security risk.”
Projects on which SunPipes have recently been completed or are currently specified include Truebell Trading Offices, Sharjah – where 24 SunPipes were installed; Dubai Police barracks at Rashidiya; the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (Adwea) offices in Abu Dhabi; and various villa projects at Emirates Hills, Al Barsha, and Murrour, Abu Dhabi, where SunPipes have been installed.
Monodraught, which will be exhibiting at Stand 2F50 in Hall 2 – is represented in the UAE is Justin Carter of Edison Lighting (Middle East).