By Lee Jenkins
Thu Jul 10, 2008, 11:12 AM EDT


They’re easy as PIE.

Sun tubes are Practical, Inexpensive and Energy efficient and a great way to fill an area with natural lighting. The tube has a dome-like lens jutting out from the roof that is connected to a reflective tube that funnels light through the building and then diffuses the light into the room below, magnifying the light so that the fixture in the ceiling looks like there is actually a bulb inside. There is even an optional light kit that can be inserted so that it can be ‘put on’ at night.

The sun tube is much smaller and less expensive than a skylight and can also be installed through an attic to provide light in a closet, windowless room or hallway. The cost typically ranges from $200 - $600 for residential and commercial installations and can even be installed by a do-it-yourselfer in a few hours.

Being so much smaller than a skylight, the tubes don’t have the problems associated with traditional skylights because their small, round shape doesn’t collect water and debris.

The concept of the sun tube aka sun pipe, sun tunnel, daylight pipe, has U.S. Patents dating back to the 1890’s. This idea has a much longer history going all the way back to the time of the Pharaohs. Back then gold lined shafts were designed into the massive stone structures of ancient Egypt. They worked fairly well but were out of the price range of all but a select few.

The sunlight pipe used today is a result of a retired interior decorator tinkering in the late 1980s with different reflective materials in his attempt to pipe daylight through his attic into his kitchen. Thus was born this current breed of energy efficient products known as tubular daylighting devices (TDD’s).

I have seen this technology in practice for years (see photo from my daughter’s condo) and it is virtually the difference between night and day. During the day (sunny or overcast) it looks just like a light fixture and you have to do a double take to make sure that you haven’t turned on the lights. Even on cloudy days and nights with a full moon, the tube will deliver every bit of light the sky has to offer.

Cohasset with the assistance of our paid energy consultant has received a sustainability grant of $17,050 of which $16,000 is being used to purchase and install only 8 sun tubes or $2,000 per tube. Having investigated the per cost of the all inclusive tube kits Cohasset is installing ($416.60) and the estimated time for installation (4 man hours) this price appears unusually high. Inquiries to people in power haven’t yielded answers by deadline.

The tubes were originally slated for the DPW garage but are to be installed in the Deer Hill Cafeteria instead. In a recent article, it was stated that the consultant is pleased with them going to a school as the location will allow for more visibility of the technology. The town facilities manager, Brian Adams, stated in the same article that “on a cloudy day they won’t do anything”. These statements indicate a lack of understanding of the technology and the priorities.

The most efficient use of the sun tube is in a windowless room, closet or hallway. In the revised proposed application the taxpayers’ money is being spent on an energy saving retrofit in a new renovation to try them out in a room that has an entire wall of windows which has the shades lowered most of the time.

Cohasset unfortunately does have the reputation of putting aesthetics and politics before practicality. Through our recent $52 million school renovations we have seen energy and maintenance savings suggestions totally disregarded.

It already cost us millions to renovate. It will cost us thousands more for excess energy usage and to maintain, repair and retrofit the results of giving in to consultants rather than using common sense. Let’s not do it again. From now on let’s make sure we get the full value of tax dollars.

With the limited amount of funds available and in the interests of public safety in the event of an emergency or a major power outage, providing daylight illumination for dark areas in the high school (our emergency shelter) and in the DPW garage should be the highest priority.