Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
In the short term, there will continue to be blackouts and other inconve-
niences associated with the limited supply and distribution structure. In the long
term, by embracing conservation and responsible environmental stewardship as
a culture, we can manage our energy usage in a way that enables manageable
growth, with renewable resources generating a substantial portion of our energy
budget.
Fortunately, amidst an array of challenging environmental and energy
options, daylighting is a relatively easy concept to promote. It is significant in
terms of the energy it can displace and it offers ancillary benefits in terms of
aesthetics and comfort.
Architectural design of daylighting systems that are both energy efficient and
aesthetically appealing is an active area of research and development that is
producing elegant and efficient designs for new buildings. Throughout the
world, systems are being designed to introduce daylight into existing buildings.
Skylight designs have evolved significantly and now offer many options for
introducing sunlight into existing buildings in a way that enhances the aes-
thetics of the roof and ceiling. Daylighting systems with exterior reflectors (both
fixed and tracking) to direct light into buildings are being designed to meet a
variety of economic and cultural needs.
Introducing daylighting into existing buildings is one of the more difficult
challenges that daylighting system designers face. A large portion of modern
non-residential ceiling space is constructed using suspended ceiling components
and standardized luminaires. While it is applicable to a variety of environments,
hybrid solar lighting (HSL) was specifically designed to address the needs of
those types of environments. The initial HSL systems were all designed with
''hybrid'' luminaires that combined the sunlight and electric light together in a
single standardized luminaire. The HSL designs have evolved to include other
luminaire options but the hybrid luminaire is still the mainstay of the systems.
HSL has provided the ability to seamlessly integrate daylighting into non-
residential ceilings in a way that is unique from other commercially available
daylighting systems.
5.3 Origins of Fiber Optic Daylighting Systems
Early after the introduction of fiber optic technology, the concept of using fiber
optics for transmitting concentrated sunlight was discussed. There were several
immediately perceived advantages to this approach. By concentrating the sun-
light, very small roof penetrations could allow a few optical fibers, heavily laden
with sunlight, to illuminate large areas. This would reduce the impact on
insulation efficacy and potential roof leaks. Unlike skylights, these fibers
would allow the light to be bent at will, so that the light could easily be routed
around structures and into areas where it was needed. When lighting needs
changed, the fibers could then be re-routed. The concept of ''flexible sunlight''
