Open AccessIllumination of dense urban areas by light redirecting panels
Author(s) -
Sally I. El-Henawy,
Mohamed W. N. Mohamed,
Islam Mashaly,
Omar Ahmed Mohamed,
Ola Galal,
Iman Taha,
Khaled Nassar,
Amr M. E. Safwat
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.22.00a895
Subject(s) - illuminance , optics , sunlight , scarcity , population , environmental science , computer science , meteorology , remote sensing , physics , geography , sociology , demography , economics , microeconomics
With the high population growth rate, especially in developing countries, and the scarcity of land resources, buildings are becoming so close to each other, depriving the lower floors and the alleys from sunlight and consequently causing health problems. Therefore, there is an urgent need for cost-effective efficient light redirecting panels that guide sun rays into those dim places. In this paper, we address this problem. A novel sine wave based panel is presented to redirect/diverge light downward and enhance the illumination level in those dark places. Simulation results show that the proposed panel improves the illuminance values by more than 200% and 400% in autumn and winter respectively, operates over wide solar altitude ranges, and redirects light efficiently. Experimental and simulation results are in good agreement.