Solatube Wins Prestigious A4LE Solution Provider Award

Rosewood Elementary’s multi-purpose structure was built to ICC 500 code thanks to six Solatube SolaMaster 750DS-O units.

We are proud to announce that our SolaMaster 750 DS-O ICC 500 Storm Shelter-compliant daylighting system was selected as the winner of the 2022 A4LE Solution Provider Award.

The Solution Provider Award, sponsored by the Association for Learning Environments, is designed to spotlight innovation in materials, technology, products and services that are critical elements in defining healthy, high-performance schools. The award recognizes the results of those efforts and the foresight of the companies whose policies bring new products to the marketplace.

School Storm Shelters

In the past, many educational facilities have had to forgo natural daylighting in their storm shelters to ensure stability and safety. 

Traditional forms of daylighting, such as windows, have struggled to pass the impact testing required for both hurricanes and tornadoes. In some cases, the addition of storm doors or shutters could be added to windows to prevent debris from entering the space, but they aren’t cost-effective. They can limit or even remove natural daylight from the facility altogether. 

While eliminating windows and other forms of daylighting may be the most cost-effective, it does have negative ramifications for the occupants within the space. 

While it’s imperative to have emergency plans in place during a disaster, it’s also important to consider that 99.9% of a storm shelter’s life would be used for another purpose, such as a K–12 gymnasium, which is often the chosen space to serve as the shelter.

Additionally, studies by groups like Heschong Mahone and the University of Oregon have shown that broad-spectrum daylight, when incorporated into learning spaces, can help to increase test scores between 20% to 26%; improve cognitive skills, visibility and mood; and even reduce microbial communities associated with indoor dust by 50%. With such great benefits, removing daylight from these spaces would not be ideal.

Daylighting Storm Shelters with Solatube

Solatube Tubular Daylighting Devices (TDDs) are an affordable daylighting solution that has been proven to be the solution for window-less shelters.

TDDs harvest daylight at the rooftop, transfer it down a highly reflective tube and distribute it evenly into an interior space through a diffuser at the ceiling—with virtually no maintenance.

High-quality Solatube TDD applications have already led the industry in certifications, having passed rigorous product testing such as Federal Blast Testing, Factory Mutual Testing and the hurricane coastal requirements in Florida and Texas.

Now, Solatube International is the only top lighting solution to achieve ICC 500 P 361 storm shelter compliance without the need for additional penetration protection.

This means that school facilities and design teams no longer have to choose between daylighting and safety. Our leading tubular daylighting device allows occupants to enjoy all the benefits of daylighting without sacrificing safety or eating up the budget. You never know when a disaster will strike. Start planning today.

 

If you want to learn more about how to maximize natural light to transform your storm shelter and improve student performance and health, you can call 888.SOLATUBE to set up a free consultation, or visit Solatube.com to find your local distributor.