A skylight shade device includes a skylight having a skylight dome and a shade element. A surface area of the shade element is smaller than the surface area of the skylight dome and positioned generally centrally within the surface area of the skylight dome to occlude at least a portion of high angle sunlight through the skylight dome without occluding low angle sunlight through the skylight dome.

A lighting control system for optimizing operation of skylights of distributed sites to facilitate daylight harvesting comprises a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory stores processor instructions, which causes the processor to identify skylight-linked lighting circuits from a plurality of lighting circuits by analyzing site configuration data, site instrumentation data, and ambient data, and determine interception points configured for each identified skylight-linked lighting circuit to switch from daylight utilization to electric consumption and to switch from electric consumption to daylight utilization. The processor is further caused to derive an optimum logic for the operation of skylight linked lighting circuits based on the interception points and current operating schedule of the skylight linked lighting circuits and optimize the operation of the skylights based on the optimum logic.

A lighting control system for optimizing operation of skylights of distributed sites to facilitate daylight harvesting comprises a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory stores processor instructions, which causes the processor to identify skylight-linked lighting circuits from a plurality of lighting circuits by analyzing site configuration data, site instrumentation data, and ambient data, and determine interception points configured for each identified skylight-linked lighting circuit to switch from daylight utilization to electric consumption and to switch from electric consumption to daylight utilization. The processor is further caused to derive an optimum logic for the operation of skylight linked lighting circuits based on the interception points and current operating schedule of the skylight linked lighting circuits and optimize the operation of the skylights based on the optimum logic.

A dimmer mechanism is movable by a motor that is powered by solar-charged supercapacitors between a first configuration, in which the dimmer mechanism blocks little of the interior of a skylight tube to maximize light throughput into a room, and a second configuration, in which the dimmer mechanism blocks more of the interior of a skylight tube to reduce light throughput into the room.

A daylight illumination system for integration into a building or larger vehicle comprises a translucent facade element (800) containing a glass sheet and a light redirection element (302 or 708), and a light transport channel (801) for guiding light about horizontally into an interior of the building, the light transport channel comprising one opening attached to the interior side of said facade element and at least one opening towards the interior of the building, characterised in that the light redirection element (302 or 708) is formed as a structured polymer film or sheet attached to a glass sheet of the facade element (800) and is configured for changing the direction of incident light into the about horizontal light transport channel.

The disclosure presents methods and apparatus of light transmission control, comprising two layers of film separated by air, wherein each film is inlaid with a convex micro-lenses array. The first film will focus incoming light through the microlens, whereas the second film contains a grid of opaque areas that will be structured to block or un-block the focal planes of light depending on the thickness of the air layer. When the light is unblocked, the micro lens array in the second film will disperse the light to the other side of the film so it appears transparent or translucent. An attached hand pump can control the thickness of the air layer. The method and apparatus to control light levels is effective, reliable, affordable, intuitive and easy to use. The films can be attached to existing surfaces provide full transparency, a dimming effect, or complete blackout.

A daylight redirecting window film formed by a flexible multi-layer film laminate with a total thickness of less than one millimeter and configured to be applied to an indoor-facing window surface of a building facade. The window film includes a pair of outer film substrates flanking a light redirecting core layer. The core layer includes a parallel array of channels defining total internal reflection (TIR) surfaces and linear optically transmissive structures protruding transversely thought the core layer and bonded to the outer film substrates. A light output surface of the outer film substrate which is disposed on an indoor-facing side of the laminate includes a two-dimensional pattern of light scattering microstructures which are configured to spread light at least in a plane that is perpendicular to the channels. The TIR surfaces intercept and reflect a portion of sunlight propagating through the core layer such that the window film redirects that portion of incident sunlight towards a plurality of divergent directions, forming relatively high bend angles.

A geothermal heat delivery system supplies geothermal heat for various residential, surface heating applications, including heating driveways, paths, sidewalks, homes, roofs, swimming pools, and commercial applications, including heating roadways, parkways, highways, airport runways, parking lots and sidewalks. The geothermal heat delivery system includes a series of heat pipes that are used to provide geothermal heat from a borehole to a structure or a surface, which can for example, melt precipitation on a road, driveway or roof, without the use of a ground source heat pump.

A geothermal heat delivery system supplies geothermal heat for various residential, surface heating applications, including heating driveways, paths, sidewalks, homes, roofs, swimming pools, and commercial applications, including heating roadways, parkways, highways, airport runways, parking lots and sidewalks. The geothermal heat delivery system includes a series of heat pipes that are used to provide geothermal heat from a borehole to a structure or a surface, which can for example, melt precipitation on a road, driveway or roof, without the use of a ground source heat pump.

An indirect light skydome with natural ventilation for building roofs consists a half sphere dome with a curved brim (101) and an air vent (102) around the dome (100), which attached to the horizontal circular base (.sub.6) with a fan shape opening to allow only indirect sunlight and connected to the tube for light transmission inside the building. The dome (100) is divided into transparent part (1) for receiving only indirect light and opaque part (2) for direct light protection, which are made into a single dome using a coating technique to prevent rainwater leakage in the joints. The shading part and the fan shape opening correspond to the sun's angle for effective direct light protection during the daytime and all year round. The air vent (102) is designed for effective air flow for stack and cross ventilation in all directions. The indirect light skydome with natural ventilation helps to reduce heat and increase quality of daylight.