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Monodraught Sunpipes Light Up The Antarctic !

Monodraught SunPipes are sold in over 30 countries throughout the world but the Antarctic is probably the most extreme of locations! In winter temperatures of -40 degrees Centigrade are the norm but they can drop as low as -55 degrees, with winds gusting up to 150 km/h. There is no daylight for almost two months of the year and for over three months the sun does not appear above the horizon. In summer temperatures rise to only about 5 degrees Centigrade but there is a high level of radiation due to the lack of ozone. There is 24 hours of daylight for about 10 weeks. Add to these extreme weather conditions the sheer size of it - over four times the size of Europe - and the difficulties of travelling and working there, all combine to make the Antarctic a truly unique challenge.

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS), which has its UK headquarters in Cambridgeshire, appointed Morrison (Falklands) Ltd to design and supply a new accommodation and laboratory building at Bird Island, South Georgia in Sub-Antarctic. This very remote area, which comes under the Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, is a sanctuary to millions of sea birds. The Bird Island station is cradled in a sheltered bay with hills behind, so there is very little sun and a lot of thick mist and rain. It has been in operation for 30 years and while sea access is possible all year for Falkland Islands Fishery Protection Vessels, BAS does not operate its ships in the Southern Oceans over the winter months. It is therefore vital that any products supplied to the station are robust, reliable and as maintenance free as possible. The costs and time schedules involved in replacing equipment are otherwise prohibitive and impractical.

As part of the refurbishment programme at Bird Island, seven Monodraught 300mm diameter SunPipes were installed to meet a performance specification drawn up by Steve Canham of the BAS to bring continuous daylight into the main corridor, main office and circulation spaces of this new building during the summer months.

Monodraught SunPipes feature a patented Diamond dome at roof level that captures practically all the available daylight, which is then evenly diffused by a translucent ceiling fixture, which fits flush with the ceiling.

To ensure the polycarbonate Diamond domes could tolerate the temperature extremes on this project they were specially supplied as triple glazed units. The SunPipe consists of a pure silver-coated, mirror-finish aluminium tube which is available in practically any length, to suit all possible applications. Again, because of the extreme environment, the SunPipes were supplied with a 40mm thick Rockwool lagging to the exterior to minimise heat loss. In summer the SunPipes provide lighting that importantly, does not require any power generation and are completely free to run as the only energy used is the renewable energy of the sun. Also, equally important, they are maintenance-free with no moving parts, making them an ideal choice for somewhere as remote as the Antarctic! All science stations in the Antarctic must operate with minimal environmental footprint and fossil fuel consumption and at the end of the life of each station all component parts must be capable of being removed to meet the legal requirements of the Antarctic Treaty. Monodraught’s SunPipes are supplied with a full 10 year, no quibble guarantee.

Says Steve Canham of the BAS: "The rear corridor of the base is particularly gloomy and there is very little light due to the close proximity of the hills. The Monodraught SunPipes light this area very effectively and the savings are out of all proportion to the initial cost. Getting fuel to the base is always a problem and we do not want to increase the use of hydrocarbons. As the SunPipes are energy-free they provide an ideal solution."

It is well documented that birds are attracted to light sources, particularly in remote locations, so the SunPipes at Bird Island are also being fitted with blackout ceiling diffusers, to avoid any light being seen from the outside during winter and periods of darkness. The diffusers will ensure no light can be seen from the outside and stop birds flying into the SunPipes.

800 miles away from Bird Island, at Rothera, Monodraught's SunPipes have also been specified by Dave Ingham of the BAS for a major new dining and social area. Rothera is on the north-west peninsula of the Antarctic and is the largest British Antarctic Survey Research Station. As it has a gravel air runway it is the main station in the Antarctic and is used as the gateway for the scientists, who then travel into the field to other stations. The new 30m long building will have a central internal corridor, which will be lit with six Monodraught SunPipes, similar to those at Bird Island. Either side of the corridor will be a kitchen, dining room, recreational area and a library. Construction will take place over the next two Antarctic summers.

Monodraught’s products are increasingly being specified for hospitals, schools, leisure centres and other large commercial ventures. The appeal of long term, maintenance free, simple but effective naturally driven devices, with no moving mechanical parts, has enormous appeal to architects and specifiers. Add to this their ability to considerably reduce non-sustainable energy consumption and save money - this is a unique combination of benefits to end-users everywhere - but probably never more so than in the Antarctic.

Email: info@monodraught.com

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News Categories : Natural Daylighting Sundomes
Natural Ventilation
Car Park Ventilation 
Heat Recovery Heat Exchangers 
Natural Ventilation Natural Daylighting