Building codes are changing at a rapid pace to respond to looming hikes in energy costs and environmental concerns. Solar panel adoption has accelerated in the US, as the cost of the photo voltaic cells used in solar panels (installation, operations and maintenance) has decreased by as much as 15 percent. Solar competition is growing from China and there are solar alternatives being introduced as this fledgling industry takes root.
As with many building materials, most are used first in government and commercial projects, and only 17 percent of today's solar installations are for residential housing. California leads the adoption of solar followed by Arizona, North Carolina, New Jersey and Massachusetts account.
One of the challenges with solar panels is the cost of installing fixed panels versus ones that rotate to capture the sun's rays for more hours each day. That's why this new product from Belgium, the LightCatcher, is this week's Friday Find.
Econation uses skylights & mirrors to light interior space …
Solar Alternatives that Use Mirrors
The LightCatcher from EcoNation, places domes instead of solar panels on the roof. The dome has sensors, along with a motorized mirror and lenses, to follow the sun's movement through the sky. This allows the domes to maximize the amount of sunlight it can direct into buildings, claiming it can provide lighting for up to 10 hours per day.
One advantage the LightCatcher solution has is a smaller number of light domes compared to solar panels. That makes sense for commercial space where lighting represents a higher percentage of energy, and it's mostly during daylight “business” hours. This is in contrast to solar panels which generate and store (or send to the power grid) energy for use in heating and powering home appliances.
[…] Solar Alternatives Include this Light Catcher […]