3M is promoting its Tubular Day-lighting Device, which enables drawing sunlight into interior areas of buildings including basements and inner rooms.

The company’s Architectural Markets Division says the clean and sustainable lighting system directs sunlight from the roof while cutting heat, glare and radiation. This helps buildings use less electrical energy during daylight. The payback period will be about three years, according to a press release from the company.

The device can be used in houses, factories, warehouses, wedding halls, auditoriums, offices and can also be retrofitted in old buildings.

The core of the 3M product is the company’s material that has high reflectivity, minimal loss and negligible colour shift – even in cloudy conditions and has the highest visible reflectivity that is greater than 99 per cent.

Another 3M innovation, a unique lens design, reduces glare and eliminates hot spots and does not alter the colours of the transmitted light.

The 3M Tubular Day-lighting Device meets needs building code mandates and green building code certifications such as the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) designation.

The system offers the potential to reduce a building’s energy demands during peak hours, when rates can be at their highest.

In addition, the system can improve the well-being of people in the building, as multiple studies have shown that day-lighting has a direct impact on productivity and satisfaction. 3M’s Tubular Day-lighting Device was showcased at CII’s “Green Building Congress 2012,” Hyderabad.

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