Switch off the lights, here comes the sun

i've been using solar light tubes for years. i believe the idea goes back to egyptian times.
i've also installed fiber optic solar lighting in more commercial settings.
i really like this idea. the article is worth reading, for sure.
here's a bit of it.

For those of us who spend most of our days under the alien glow of the artificial light that illuminates most large buildings, a brighter future may be at hand.
Technology being commercialized in British Columbia aims to transform building interiors -- providing practical, affordable illumination by harnessing the natural light of the sun. It’s light that will be brighter, more attractive, less expensive and more sustainable than electric light, according to Tony Formby.

Mr. Formby is president of SunCentral Inc., a company developing technology based on breakthroughs made by University of British Columbia physics professor Lorne Whitehead. That technology uses computerized collector panels located on the sun-facing exterior walls of buildings to gather and concentrate sunlight, which is transported and dispersed inside the building by special light guides.

Dr. Whitehead, who holds more than 100 patents, first began dreaming about piping sunlight into buildings in 1978 when he was a graduate student working in a windowless laboratory. His interest in the quality of light had been piqued by a stint helping out with theatre lighting, and he recalls thinking, “Wouldn’t it be great if it were practical to bring sunlight indoors?”

He soon found out why that had never been done. “The problem was,” he says, “that we didn’t have efficient light guides. … You have to channel or guide the light to get it inside in a practical way.”

Because light travels very efficiently through air, the basic idea of any light guide is quite simple, says Dr. Whitehead: “Take any pipe and mirror the inside surface, and if light goes in one end, it kind of has to come out the other because it reflects.” However, nothing’s perfect, he adds, and in the case of a hollow light guide, the snag is the loss of light that occurs with each reflection.

source


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S&F for an interesting thread!

I find the concept to be very useful!

reply to post by The Sword


i don't like advertising for companies, but if the mods don't mind, here is a link worth digging around.

SunCentral envisions by 2020, in most commercial buildings in major cities in the world, electric lights are turned off and buildings are illuminated with sunlight whenever the sun shines, substantially reducing energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and increasing energy security.
SunCentral will achieve this vision with its innovative and patented “Core Sunlighting System”, the first proven and practical way to illuminate spaces deep within multi-storey commercial buildings with sunlight. SunCentral’s technology is 7x more effective than current photovoltaic solar panels and it delivers sunlight to places inaccessible to light from windows and skylights.

When SunCentral's "Core Sunlighting System” becomes commercially available in 2013, it will offer commercial payback to customers within 3 – 9 years, depending on the local sunshine availability and cost of energy. SunCentral's "Core Sunlighting System" will also be economically viable without government subsidy, although we will qualify for numerous government energy efficiency subsidy programs.

link


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This link mentions how you can take a 2ltr bottle filled with water and bleach, and use it to light a building. Its currently being used all over the place. The link is just one of many stories you can find on the subject.
community.greencupboards.com...

I have a couple of these in use now,

one in the bathroom and one in front of the stove..

during the day, you don't have to turn on the light in the bath, even though there are no windows.

Of course my ceiling/roof isn't that thick..around 14"

Star and flag, good topic. Gotta save money where you can..


ETA- I saw that about the bottles as well, mine were originally round vents, I just found some tempered glass dinner plates and urethane caulked those in place after removing the metal hood thing..

reply to post by Chickensalad


i've built walls like these before.
you'll like this.

bottle walls

reply to post by rubbertramp


hey thats pretty cool..

i never knew that tidbit about the Heineken bottles, wobo i think they were called.

reply to post by rubbertramp


I just have to say Nice Work there. It does deserve a comment at least...

Now back on points, I saw a video about the bottles in roof just awhile back. Im going to look for it.

I have to wonder, since the man in the op started this thought back in the 70's, if he had come up with this a long time ago, and they are just now letting it leak out. Seems he has 100 patients, or so says the article. Wonder what else he has discovered.

To me, if just a thimble full of the patients that have been filed over the last 30 years were to come to light now, I can't help but think move over Jetsons. It is frustrating to know things Have been invented ,yet buried under greedy desires of others.

On the other hand, as I so respect simplicity, when I see stuff like this , I always wished I had big brothers so I may of known how to be a bit more handy with tools to do these sort of things

Ok but can this be used when its night time??, im drunk at the moment so could of read it wrong lol .

reply to post by mcdgray129


Did you watch the video the bottles of water needs the sun to light illuminate it...you drinking moon shine?

reply to post by rubbertramp


Hmm...

So, basically - lenses attached to optical wave-guides (fiber-optics). This is not all that new of a concept - though this is a much more highly refined and purposed application.

Sounds very similar to a system I planned to prototype and implement on my "dream house" that will likely never leave the drawing board... but - that's what I do, dream of things well beyond my means to bring to fruition.