250 mm solar tube is ideal for a space size of up to 10 square meters, like small bathrooms and hallways. 350 to 450 mm solar tubes are ideal for big rooms like stairwells, big hallways and bathrooms. 550 mm solar tubes are a good choice for living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens with a size of up to 15 to 22 square meters.
Solar tube sizes are determined by the diameter of the tube. Sizes vary from as small as 2 inches to 48 inches, depending on brand, type and use (residential or commercial). It is said that a 10-inch tube is comparable to three 100 watt bulbs. There is no limit to the length and can be as long as they need to be. Do solar tubes really work? Yes.
On a sunny day, one 10-inch solar tube gives you around the same amount of light as three 100-watt bulbs. That’s enough to illuminate a 200 sq. ft. room well enough for office work or light a 300 sq. ft. room enough for less visual activities such as taking a shower or folding the laundry.
As a whole, rigid solar tubes can deliver up to 20m of efficient light transmittance. If you have a long distance to cover from the roof to the room (more than 2 meters), using a rigid solar tube would be better to channelize maximum daylight.
This is because the less the light resiles off the pipe’s inner surface, the more natural light will be transmitted in the desired room. As a whole, rigid solar tubes can deliver up to 20m of efficient light transmittance.
If you have a long distance to cover from the roof to the room (more than 2 meters), using a rigid solar tube would be better to channelize maximum daylight. If you require a bend in your tube, you’d think you’d be out of luck and have to resort to a flexible tube.