Inhabitat » SUNLIGHT DIRECT - Sunlight Transportation for the home

June 24, 2005

SUNLIGHT DIRECT - Sunlight Transportation for the home

Sunlight direct, Hybrid Solar Lighting, Sunlight transport, daylighting, fiber optics

Nothing in the realm of new technology gets me more excited than sunlight transportation. Since sunlight is our most infinitely renewable resource, I am amazed that it has taken us so long to start developing hi-tech lighting and energy systems around it. Like Parans, the Swedish sunlight transport system we covered a couple months back, Sunlight Direct is a fiber-optic sunlight transportation system designed so you can collect sunlight on a roof, and then bring it into the interior of a building to illuminate a dark room. Unlike Parans, Sunlight Direct also incorporates Hybrid Solar Lighting (HSL) - the storage of solar energy to power fluorescent tubes in cases of low sunlight, such as on cloudy days, or at night.

Sunlight Direct uses a parabolic mirror to collect sunlight. The system then filters out the heat-causing UV light, and pipes the remaining natural light into interior spaces via fiber optic lines. Currently the light can only be sent about 30 feet or so due to loss of light as it travels through the lines. One unit delivers 50,000 lumens, or roughly the equivalent amount of light needed to illuminate 1000 square feet.

The best part is that Sunlight Direct is currently allowing people to beta-test this new product - so get on it peeps! (I would love to hear from anyone who tries this). The manufacturers expect the Sunlight Direct system to be available for purchase in 2007.

Via Core 77

6 Responses to “SUNLIGHT DIRECT - Sunlight Transportation for the home”

JoLinda Susilo Says:

September 12th, 2006 at 5:22 pm

Very interested in incorporating these ideas in our new home. Just starting construction.
aloha
JoLinda Susilo

Sean Ryan Says:

April 16th, 2007 at 4:50 pm

Dear Sirs ,
Do you have a mirror system that can track the sun and reflect light into my house .
The problem is it doesn’t get enough natural sunlight or heat
kind Regards
Sean Ryan

Cathy Monaco Says:

May 23rd, 2007 at 2:37 pm

Skylight with solar powered mirror tracking system - no electrical wiring required. Available now, approx. $1,500 per hole. Ciralight - contact Doug Sutton dsutton@ciralight.com

joe Says:

November 2nd, 2007 at 1:45 pm

I consider it a negative thing that the UV rays are filtered out. UV rays are essential to our health, for vitamin D, etc.

jude Says:

November 27th, 2007 at 5:11 am

You mentioned, “Sunlight Direct also incorporates Hybrid Solar Lighting (HSL) - the storage of solar energy to power fluorescent tubes in cases of low sunlight”. No light energy is stored to be pulled up at a later time. It is Hybrid because it has a sensor that controls the amount of electrical light output to keep a steady illumination level when there is not much sunlight. It is in the future plans to have a Solar array strapped to the collector but even then a battery system would be required to store the collected solar energy which is a entirely different ball game than HSL.
Didn’t want anyone to be misled.
- Jude

shreyas mistry Says:

January 3rd, 2008 at 8:36 am

if i want to do direct sunlight in my home how can i do that and tell me what is iquepment reqired for this project plz hep me for this because there is no sunlight come in my home hole of the day end

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