A skylight for a building includes a solar panel arranged within the skylight, the solar panel comprising one or more photovoltaic cells to collect direct radiation from rays of sunlight for conversion to electrical power, and an optical element to receive the direct radiation and refract it to the solar panel, and to receive the direct radiation and diffuse radiation scattered from the rays of sunlight and refract the direct radiation and the diffuse radiation through the skylight, bypassing the solar panel, to provide daylighting in the building.

Systems and methods for improving the brightness of a transparent display are disclosed herein. One embodiment collects ambient light using an array of diffraction gratings disposed on an external surface of a vehicle to produce filtered ambient light; collects internal light from the vehicle's headlights; filters the internal light to produce filtered internal light; generates primary-source light using a light-emitting-diode (LED) light source; and injects, into a transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display deployed in at least a portion of a window of the vehicle, the primary-source light, the filtered ambient light, and the filtered internal light in a color-synchronized manner. The filtered ambient light and the filtered internal light improve the brightness of the transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display.

A convex reflective surface, such as mirror (1) or an equivalent deflector of radiation, designed to suit a FIG. 5 particular location or type of location, fixed in position and requiring no adjustment, can re-direct solar radiation (2,3) downwards onto a chosen target area throughout the calendar year or such lesser period of operation as may be chosen, benefitting the growth of plants in a greenhouse or the open air, and other human activities, at minimal expenditure including of fossil fuel.

A convex reflective surface, such as mirror (1) or an equivalent deflector of radiation, designed to suit a FIG. 5 particular location or type of location, fixed in position and requiring no adjustment, can re-direct solar radiation (2,3) downwards onto a chosen target area throughout the calendar year or such lesser period of operation as may be chosen, benefitting the growth of plants in a greenhouse or the open air, and other human activities, at minimal expenditure including of fossil fuel.

A structure and method for utilizing natural light indoors or in the interior in a moving space are disclosed. The structure includes: at least one natural light condenser configured to reflect the natural light; a natural light transmitter configured such that the natural light reflected by the at least one natural light condenser is moved to the natural light transmitter; a smart lamp unit including an artificial light generator; a smart lamp driver located adjacent to the smart lamp unit and configured to move the smart lamp unit; and a controller connected to the at least one natural light condenser, the natural light transmitter, the smart lamp unit, and the smart lamp driver so as to transmit and receive information therewith. The controller is configured to combine artificial light with the natural light in response to a user request signal to radiate a combination of the artificial and natural light.

A method of making a daylight redirecting window film having a layered structure with a total thickness of less than one millimeter and having at least two optical films bonded together. One of the optical films has a first light redirecting layer disposed on a first side of the film and including a linear array of light redirecting structures configured to reflect light using a total internal reflection and defining a parallel array of narrow channels, and a second light redirecting layers disposed on an opposite second side of the film and including light scattering surface microstructures. The method includes coating a surface of at least one of the films with an optical adhesive, positioning the optical films such that the top portions of the light redirecting structures face inwards, and bonding the films together to form a monolithic multi-layer light redirecting film structure.

An electromagnetic radiation collecting and directing apparatus is described herein. The electromagnetic radiation collecting and directing apparatus facilitates directing light from an exterior of a structure to an interior of a structure. The directed light is then distributed as necessary within the structure for heating, illumination, or is stored for use at a later time.

A method of making illumination systems for illuminating building interiors comprises positioning first and second opaque, rigid reflective side walls at a distance from one another with reflective surfaces facing each other. The method further comprises positioning a reflective grid panel with parallel longitudinal walls and parallel transverse walls joining the longitudinal walls between the side walls, defining rectangular light-transmitting openings. The method also includes positioning an LED light source above the grid panel to illuminate it at incidence angles ranging from 0° to at least 45°. Additionally, the method comprises positioning a light diffusing sheet of optically transmissive dielectric material approximately coextensive with the grid panel parallel to the grid panel between the side walls above the grid panel. The transverse walls of the grid panel and the reflective side walls are configured to diffusely reflect portions of light transmitted through the rectangular openings.

Non-imaging radiation collecting and concentrating devices, and assemblies, are disclosed. The non-imaging radiation collecting and concentrating devices comprise an entrance aperture for receiving incoming radiation, an exit aperture located opposite to the entrance aperture for outputting concentrated radiation, and one or more concaved reflectors arranged between the entrance and exit apertures. The concaved reflectors define an acceptance angle of the device relative to an optical axis thereof and configured such that their optical focuses are located between edges of the exit aperture and the optical axis, thereby substantially preventing escape of the incoming radiation received in the entrance aperture within the acceptance angle and providing substantial uniform radiation collection at the exit aperture of the device.

A device for day lighting the interior of structure deploys reflective louvers that are spaced apart in stacks. The louvers include a coating or multilayer structure that is operative to reflect visible light but transmit IR light through the louver. The louvers also have a retro-reflective structure to return the IR light by reverse reflection in the opposite direction of the incident light, which is back toward the sun. The interior of the structure is more uniformly illuminated with visible light while the louvers and interior are not heated by IR light or radiation from the sun.