Solar splitting day-lighting system “SolsDays”: the first beam splitting day-lighting system

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the first and novel beam splitting day-lighting system possessing highest possible solar transmission efficiency to provide illumination to the core and underground areas of any structure/building.

Design/methodology/approach

In this system, by using a number of individually pointable thin and light optical elements mounted on a top of structure/building, the solar light is concentrated. The concentrated beam is focussed to a secondary reflecting element which directs it to a beam splitter while passing through a Fresnel lens and a horizontal solar pipe. The beam splitter located inside the structure/building splits the solar beam into a number of secondary beams using a special arrangement of a number of inbuilt light guiding optical elements inside the beam splitter. The beam splitter produces a desired number of beams which are then redirected to the beam diffusers with the help of the solar pipe and the solar pipe joint which deflects the light at the angle of 90°.

Findings

The system considers the use of highly sophisticated and the highly efficient optical elements so that to attain the highest possible end-to-end efficiency of the system. The system has the highest potential to transport the solar energy to larger distances than all the available day-lighting systems and possesses the potential to be used for underground human colonisation.

Research limitations/implications

The widespread adoption of such a system could substantially reduce energy consumption worldwide, which would contribute to bring down the increasing slope in the graph of greenhouse gases.

Originality/value

The paper presents the novel beam splitting day-lighting system.