Solar Tracking Skylights
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02. 1.08
Here is a clever way to get more light, more consistently, out of your skylight: use mirrors to track the sun. The lightweight mirrors appear to be hanging from the control box on the top, and controlled by a photocell. It needs no external power.
"Solar Tracking Skylights consist of highly reflective mirror panels within a clear plastic enclosure, which move continuously to follow the sun's position in the sky."
"By aligning to the exact position of the sun, the mirrors reflect light down into the space that would be otherwise lost due to the low incident angle of the sun through much of the day."
"Tracking the sun's movement generates up to 4 times the light levels in the space below. In the summer when the sun is directly overhead, the reflectors actually lower light levels and solar heat gain 20%." ::Solar Tracker via ::Materialicious
See also ::Piping Light and Solar Tracker: I'll follow the Sun and a similar looking unit The Suntracker One-Ups the Skylight
SolaTubes use a fresnel lense to do the same. No moving parts
Nicely done!
Now you just install solar panels under the dome and you have protected solar power that tracks the sun all day. Heck, do it right and you put the solar panels in the house on the wall with multiple skylights reflecting light down then over to the 'solar wall'. The heat genererated can warm your home. In the summer some sort of exhaust fan can draw the hot air out as well (running of the solar panel).
Yeah I know, it is out there, but still. (singing like the Stones)
"I have a solar wall and itis painted black...."
-Lego