Solar internal lighting using optical collectors and fibres
Year: 2006
Authors: Francini F., Fontani D., Jafrancesco D., Mercatelli L., Sansoni P.
Autors Affiliation: Istituto Nazionale di Ottica Applicata L.go E. Fermi, 6 50125 – Firenze, Italy
Abstract: A system exploiting solar energy, by means of optical collectors and fibres, has been applied for indoor illumination. The project has been called \”The Sunflowers\” for the property of solar collectors to track solar position during the day. Every \”sunflower\” contains several solar collectors, each of which is coupled to an optical fibre. The \”Sunflower\” is provided of mechanical systems and electric accessories for solar tracking. The light focused by the solar collector can be used in two possible ways: for internal illumination with direct solar light; otherwise it can be accumulated for lighting when the sun is not present. The first function is obtained coupling the optical collector to an optical fibre, which transports the solar light in selected points within the showcases. The second one consists in focusing solar light on a photovoltaic cell of the last generation type with high efficiency. In this configuration the photovoltaic cell converts the focused light into electric energy to be used for illumination in case of sun absence. A demonstrative installation has been realised applying this solar illumination system to museum lighting: a prototype has been tested in a prestigious museum in Florence.
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KeyWords: Electric accessories; Optical collectors; Solar illumination system; Tracking systems, Lighting; Optical fibers; Photovoltaic cells; Solar concentrators; Solar energy, Solar collectorsCitations: 5data from “WEB OF SCIENCE” (of Thomson Reuters) are update at: 2024-10-06References taken from IsiWeb of Knowledge: (subscribers only)Connecting to view paper tab on IsiWeb: Click hereConnecting to view citations from IsiWeb: Click here