People generally have a strong preference for natural daylight over electric lighting in a room, but in healthcare buildings, in particular, adequate indoor lighting is essential for staff and patients to move about in safety and perform their day-to-day tasks, and in creating a pleasing ambience.
Many healthcare professionals believe daily exposure to high levels of daylight may have significant long-term health benefits. For example, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression the symptoms of which are related to the seasonal variation in available daylight. There is psychiatric evidence to suggest that up to 10% of the population may suffer from SAD, with up to three times that number exhibiting some signs of the disorder.
Daylight exposure is also related to the synthesis of vitamin D, which is responsible for the body’s calcium absorption, and therefore healthy bones. Individuals particularly vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency are the elderly and housebound, who may not be able to achieve the exposure to daylight required for adequate synthesis. Daylight has also been linked with pain alleviation, and with the maintenance of the circadian rhythm of melatonin secretion essential for sleep, which also affects alertness, mood, and productivity.
It is no surprise that those involved in the construction of hospitals and healthcare buildings are constantly updating their designs to reflect the importance of the health benefits of daylight, and to reduce energy consumption and the carbon footprint of the NHS. The NHS Sustainable Development Unit has ambitious plans to make all new healthcare buildings low carbon by 2015, and zero carbon by 2018, so there is a need to integrate formal carbon reduction measures when making capital investments.
The Monodraught Sunpipe is an innovative, energy-free, natural daylight solution which, by bringing daylight into a room in sunny, overcast, and rainy conditions, combines health and environmental benefits. The sunpipes are maintenance-free and, unlike typical rooflights, eliminate glare, significantly reduce heat gains in summer, and minimise heat losses in the winter.
Sunpipes can be used in conjunction with windows to provide the entire internal space with natural daylight. They can also be used to bring natural daylight into internal areas without windows.
Significantly, with electricity prices continuing to rise, it is estimated that up to 75% of the cost of electricity used for lighting during daylight hours can be saved when sunpipes replace electric lighting.
For further information contact:
Tony Cull, Monodraught Limited
Halifax House, Cressex Business Park, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP12 3SE
Phone: 01494 897700, Fax: 01494 532465
Email: info@monodraught.com Web: www.monodraught.com
