A daylighting device (10) including: a flexible base material (20) having light-transmitting properties; and a plurality of daylighting sections (30) on at least one of faces (20a) of the base material (20), each of the daylighting sections having light-transmitting properties and including at least two protrusion portions adjacent to each other.

Linear acylindrical lens (and array/system employing a plurality of such lens elements) containing liquid silicone rubber material for use in solar applications, as well as a low-cost silicone based optical lightguide(s) configured to channel and concentrate solar light with about 90% optical efficiency. The lens includes a transparent glass substrate (with an optional coating), which mechanically supports a moldable flexible silicone lenslet optical quality and is bonded to it with the use of plasma and in absence of adhesive material. When injection molding of lightguide(s) is employed, the lightguide shape can be formed variably to provide for integration of multiple lightguide s into an array with alignment tolerances that are looser than in a solar concentrator employing glass waveguides. Optical system employing such (arrayed) linear lens(es) concatenated with corresponding (arrayed) lightguides, juxtaposed with micro-CPV cells and conventional PV-cell(s) to capture diffused light.

The present invention discloses a natural light homogenization lighting device and method based on free-form surface and sawtooth grating, and the device can be used as lighting curtains, indoor shutters, window glasses and the like. The device includes a front surface and a rear surface in an array form, the first surface is a free-form surface array, the second surface is a sawtooth surface array, and the free-form surface array is used for collecting outdoor natural light, and transmitting to the sawtooth surface array through the intermediate medium made of the same material between the two surfaces; and the sawtooth surface array is used for deflecting the incident natural light to the indoor space after being refracted by an inclined surface. The present invention can efficiently collect the natural light incident into the window, disperse the light evenly to all directions indoors, homogenize the indoor lighting, and effectively protect the indoor privacy. The device is thin and easy to mass produce, environmentally friendly and pollution-free.

The system captures and concentrates sunlight for transmission to interior spaces or to a PV system. A solar collector uses arrayed refractive lenses and opposing concave focusing mirrors and a movable coupling sheet forming part of a lightguide. The transparent sheet contains small angled mirrors, where each angled mirror corresponds to a particular set of the lenses/focusing mirrors and is in the focal plane. The lightguide also includes a fluid surrounding the transparent sheet, and lower index cladding layers sandwich the fluid. The sheet is translated within the fluid by an actuator to position the angled mirrors at the focal points of the sunlight for maximum deflection of the sunlight to an edge of the lightguide for extraction to a light transmission system or to a PV system. A position sensor on the sheet provides feedback regarding the position of the angled mirrors relative to the focal points.

A light harvester or collector collects solar radiation from an unshaded location adjacent a growing plant. The light harvester can be either imaging (e.g., parabolic reflectors) or non-imaging (e.g., compound parabolic concentrator). The concentrated solar radiation is projected into a light transmitter that conducts the light through the plant's outer canopy and into the inner canopy to a diffuser which disperses and reradiates the light into the inner canopy. The diffused light transforms a non-productive, potentially leafless zone of the plant into a productive zone so that more fruit can be produced per volume of land surface. The system can prevent transmission of infrared into the inner canopy so that the inner canopy zone is not heated and the amount of water lost to transpiration is reduced. The system can also modify other spectral components to affect plant development and to control pests and diseases.

A generally plano rectangular louvers are capable of being ganged in a stacked tiltable array to enhance light re-direction when titled to follow the solar elevation. Combinations of features and optical characteristic avoid optical artifacts and enhance efficiency of light utilization and manufacturing. Different louvers can be combined in alternative ways in such arrays. Light directly louvers, films, sheets and panels deploy a grooves that re-direct exterior sunlight for deeper penetration into rooms and building interiors. Absorbing structure are combined with films or panel that while reducing total interior illumination, reduce the potential for annoying glare at low solar elevations

A system and mechanism that redirects sunlight towards a target destination. The system has an array of double prismatic discs that are controlled by a control module that includes a light detecting module. The system is modular and will work for any elevation and azimuth of direct sunlight. The system will further provide one or more remote functionalities. The system can be used to provide collimated solar side or top illumination for indoor spaces, directly or in combination with reflectors. The system may be combined with a hybrid solar lighting (HSL) panel to provide indoor illumination through optical fiber cables. The system may be combined with a concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) panel or with a concentrated solar thermal (CST) panel to produce electricity or heat respectively. The system replaces the solar tracker typically used in these applications, which enables the assembly to be integrated in buildings and vehicles without altering their aesthetics.

Disclosed is a sunlight transmitter, and more particularly to a sunlight transmitter according to an embodiment of the present invention is used as a transmission device of solar light to transmit sunlight into an indoor space by condensing and converting the sunlight into straight parallel light, and maximizes a sunlight transmission efficiency by minimizing loss in condensing the sunlight and obtaining not only the straight parallel light of high luminous flux but also diffused light through hybrid condensation.

The present subject matter is an improved skylight to improved low sun-angle light collection and reduced high sun angle light and heat collection. A steeply sloping dome contains parabolic reflectors that redirect low elevation light into a light passage. The steeply sloping sides and the reflectors reflect high elevation angle rays away from a light passage.

A generally plano rectangular louvers are capable of being ganged in a stacked tiltable array to enhance light re-direction when titled to follow the solar elevation. Combinations of features and optical characteristic avoid optical artifacts and enhance efficiency of light utilization and manufacturing. Different louvers can be combined in alternative ways in such arrays.