The use of light redirecting devices or systems can greatly enhance daylighting performance in buildings that face challenging orientations. Here are some details about how this can be accomplished:
1. Challenge of Building Orientations: Building orientations that face away from the sun's path or have limited exposure to natural light pose a challenge for daylighting. These orientations can result in areas of the building receiving insufficient daylight, leading to increased reliance on artificial lighting and reduced energy efficiency.
2. Light Redirecting Devices: Light redirecting devices or systems are designed to capture, redirect, and distribute daylight into interior spaces that would otherwise be deprived of natural light. These devices work by altering the path of sunlight or skylight, enabling it to enter deeper into the building.
3. Light Shelves: Light shelves are horizontal surfaces, often with a reflective underside, placed near windows or high up on walls. They help redirect sunlight deeper into the space by bouncing it off their reflective surfaces. The light shelves block the direct sunlight from entering the space but allow reflected sunlight to illuminate the space.
4. Light Tubes or Solatubes: Light tubes, also known as tubular skylights or Solatubes, are cylindrical devices that capture sunlight from the roof and funnel it through a highly reflective tube into the interior spaces. The light is then diffused using a lens or diffuser, spreading it evenly across the room.
5. Light Louvers: Light louvers consist of angled slats or thin blades installed in windows or skylights that allow daylight to enter the space while minimizing glare and heat gain. They reject direct sunlight while allowing diffused light to pass through. By adjusting the angle of the slats, the intensity and direction of the light can be controlled, maximizing daylighting performance.
6. Light Reflectors: Light reflectors can be strategically positioned to redirect sunlight into spaces that lack direct access to windows or skylights. Reflective surfaces, such as mirrors or reflective films, can be used on walls or ceilings to bounce and diffuse light deeper into the building interior.
7. Prismatic Glazing: Prismatic glazing is a type of glazing that consists of small prisms or lenses embedded in the glass. These prisms bend and redirect sunlight, allowing it to penetrate deep into the building while maintaining a high level of transparency. Prismatic glazing can be particularly effective in diffusing sunlight evenly throughout the space.
By implementing these light redirecting devices or systems, buildings with challenging orientations can significantly improve their daylighting performance. This results in increased natural light, reduced reliance on artificial lighting, improved visual comfort for occupants, and enhanced energy efficiency in the building.
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