What’s the difference between a solar tubular skylight, a traditional skylight, and a solar window?
While the three terms are often used interchangeably, they each have different meanings. To help straighten out the confusion, CalFinder Solar recently interviewed Mike Menkes of GreenEnergyFlorida.org and PowerBillDiet.com. Mike works toward reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint for commercial and residential applications. Mike explains that differences between the three consist of several factors, including composition, placement, and purpose. All three barriers, however, come with the benefits of aesthetics, increased production, and reduced stress levels that come with the presence of natural light. To separate the three, Menkes provided us with the following information on solar tubular skylights, traditional skylights, and solar windows. Tubular skylights are constructed with a dome [1], an optical plastic polycarbonate or acrylic composition set in a metal flashing [2], a reflective metal tube [3], and a diffuser located on the interior ceiling [4]. Given this configu
