Solar-powered technology is the future. There's no denying that! But as technology grows, so are the ways of harnessing solar power. Sometimes, it’s very simple.
Many companies in Europe and in the US have stumbled upon a tech that looks towards providing home lighting solutions using the sun. I am not talking about just popping open the window and letting light in. It is a bit more sophisticated than that.
This is a move beyond solar panels and LED lights and something more beguiling than skylights. So, let’s dive right in.
A company in the US which calls itself Solatube is one of the many that is offering home lighting solutions by using optical fibers and channeling the suns rays to different rooms of the house. Albeit, it does work on the theory of reflection, there is a whole lot more that’s going on.
The technology requires a large dome, which needs to be placed on the rooftop. The dome is connected to a tube that runs down to the room. It’s more convenient than placing windows up there.
The dome and the fibre-optic tube that carry the light inside are made of reflective acrylic that is capable of maintaining the intensity of light even if it travels a long distance. The dome is made using a Fresnel lens, which is also used in making the lenses for lights used in lighthouses.
Some of the enhancements to this technology allows users to control the intensity of light. What’s better is that the tubes also come with mini solar panels and small LEDs to transform the same system into light at night.
Depending on the model, this system can easily illuminate a room of around 200 to 300 square feet.
Since the time this technology has seen the ‘light of day’, there have been many amateur inventors around the world who have tried to counterfeit something on similar grounds using a plastic bottle of water! Classic case of ‘jugaad’.
In Philippines, there are slums where people are using plastic bottles filled with water to light up their shacks and are mixing it with cheap solar panels and a small LED light to use at night.
Check out the video to see how they are doing this:
Something like this has also made its way to India and is being currently used in many slums. It’s amazing what a bottle of water, some wires and a solar panel can do. This received an overwhelming response in the community.
This solar tube technology could be a hit in India. Major parts of India receive abundant sunlight almost 300 days of the year, which makes this kind of tech perfect for a country like this.
However, this technology may not always work. Most of the houses in India are made of concrete and installing reflective domes and pipes is going to be a laborious process.
But this technology does pave the way for more innovative ways to use the sun’s energy.
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