Hybrid solar lighting

A companycalled Sunlight Direct is developing a hybrid solar lighting system thatdistributes daylight into buildings through fibre-optic cabling, even to peoplenot seated near windows. The notion of maximizingoutdoor light inside is common in interior design by using various methods,including skylights and even roof-mounted tubes with mirrors.But Sunlight Direct istaking a high-tech approach by seeking to create a commercial product fromDepartment of Energy research.Its hybrid solar lightingsystem features a 40-inch mirrored dish with a GPS-director monitor to move itduring the day and maximize light intake. Once light is collected from a roofand concentrated, it is filtered and then spread through a building throughbundles of plastic fiber-optic chords.About 25 retail outlets andoffice buildings are testing the company's system, which the company hopes tobring to market early next year.The selling points arelower electricity bills and the benefits that natural light has on people,whether they are employees or customers, according to the company.

Source: news.com.comAdded: 11 October 2006