PERFORMANCE
Skylights totalling ten percent of a roof area with Sunbender Reflector/Shades are sufficient to supply a large share of winter heating, while providing adequate lighting without overheating during the summer. The key to the Sunbender's performance is the adjustable reflector. The Sunbender provides a fixed overhang or clerestory that allows collection of desireable heat during cold weather months, while preventing unwelcome heating in hot weather months.

SIZING
The Sunbender should be two feet longer than the skylight it is installed on. This one foot extension on the East and West ends is important for good summer shading. The Sunbender is most effective for rectangular skylights between 28" and 40" wide with the long dimension running east-west. A skylight wider than 42" will not be completely shaded in the summer by a standard Zomeworks Sunbender.

HEATING

During the winter, the reflector directs the sun onto the floor below. During a New Mexico heating season, a Sunbender can reflect from 100,000 to 200,000 extra Btu’s per square foot of skylight into the building below. An existing slab or wall does well in absorbing and re-radiating this heat. The curved shape of the reflector concentrates the reflected sunlight so that the skylight fixed in a horizontal plane admits as much sun as it would if tilted at an optimum angle to catch the sun’s rays.

COOLING

Internal shades allow direct sun to enter through the skylight, which results in over-heating. Blocking the sun before it strikes the skylight is the most effective means of shading. During the summer, the Sunbender is lowered to eliminate direct solar gain, but left high enough to allow plenty of diffuse daylight to enter the space below.

WIND RESISTANCE

Sunbenders are built to withstand 20 lbs / sq ft of wind loading, and have a specially constructed fastening scheme to prevent rattling. Sunbenders have been tested in many situations, and have performed reliably in areas with high winds, such as Albuquerque, New Mexico.