| Buildings
New product lets more
light into livestock buildings
Farmers can make more use of ‘free light’ thanks to a new
roofing product launched by manufacturer, Marley Eternit.
protected open
ridge is often the
most effective
ventilation solution
for livestock
buildings as it
allows an adequate gap at the top
of the roof for stale air to escape,
while being sheltered by a soffit
strip of fibre cement to prevent rain
ingress. Marley Eternit has created
a new type of protected open
ridge system which is fitted with a
transparent soffit, allowing more
light into a building, reducing the
need for electric lighting or lower
level skylights.
A
“After all, sunlight is free, so I
should be able to reduce my
reliance on LED lighting”
Sales Director at Marley Eternit,
Adam Botterill, explains the
thinking behind this pioneering
design: “Getting enough light into
a building can be tricky as we
know that heat stress can occur
when low level roof lights are
positioned over animals. By using
a transparent strip made from
polycarbonate resin over the ridge,
we are able to channel light into
the centre of the barn, high above
the animals, preventing ‘hotspots’
and often over the feed passage
where extra light is needed
anyway.”
The product has now been
fitted on the first few farms in the
UK with Steve Davey, from Higher
West Town Farm, near Bideford,
being one of the first farmers to fit
this type of ridge, after taking
advice from Tim Moast, from T&M
Building Ltd, who advised on and
built the new shed. “One of the
key requirements for the new shed
was to leave some space in the
middle where a conventional or
robotic milking parlour could be
established in the future and I felt
that it would help to let as much
light in as possible,” stated Steve.
“After all, sunlight is free, so I
should be able to reduce my
reliance on LED lighting and
further improve the indoor
environment for my cows.”
www.stalhameng.co.uk
www.farmingmonthly.co.uk
April 2017 | Farming Monthly | 49