Skylights are the modern take on daylighting solutions, which
provide your home with ample lighting and ventilation indoors. When optimized
correctly, they provide energy-efficiency and play a huge role in heating and
lighting costs. However certain skylight models do not capture and
reflect sunlight when the sun’s angle is low. Certain types of skylights also
generate a lot of heat and create hot spots of light which can get really
unpleasant and harsh for the people inside.
A new skylight design created by the Lighting Research Center
at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute can capture and strategically redirect
sunlight into buildings. The innovative light scoop technology provides optimal
levels of daylight during any season and also when the weather conditions
fluctuate. Funded by the York State Energy Research and Development Authority,
the light scoop has a strategic angled glass which balances seasonal and
light-level fluctuations which reduces the need for electric lights and
providing optimal levels of daylight.
The designers of the light scoop technology say that this skylight
can work very well in locations that experience overcast weather conditions.
This is because the scoop is cleverly and innovatively designed to receive
light from the zenith which is actually the brightest part of the sky.
According to the institute, some models of horizontal conventional
skylights provide too little sun on cold days and too much sun on warm and
sunny days. While accounting for the natural pattern of the sun’s movement
across the sky during the course of the day, the light scoop design balances
out these seasonal and daily fluctuations in temperature and light level,
thereby providing less light in summer more light in winter. Light scoops are
the best fit for spaces where daylight is desirable like hallways, cafeterias
and lobbies. There is also another added advantage where electric lights can be
dimmed or turned off when daylight is available. This saves a lot of energy and
money on operating costs. Light scoops can also save a significant amount of energy
used for heating and cooling. Occupants are provided with a more pleasant
environment and enjoy the health benefits of natural light indoors.
To demonstrate the benefit of this light scoop technology, 14 of
them were installed on an expansion of the Welch Allyn corporate headquarters
in Skaneateles, New York in the year 2012. Then a survey was
conducted to test its efficiency and satisfaction rate among the occupants.
Also 90% of them liked or strongly liked the patches of sun received in the
atrium.
This proved that natural light is the most sought after attribute
in residential and commercial buildings. The presence of pure, clean, daylight
in abundance can make any interior space appear larger, while enhancing its
visual appeal, without taking away its health benefits for an airy, brighter
and more vibrant living environment.
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