The hybrid solar lighting technology uses a rooftop-mounted 48-inch diameter collector and secondary mirror that track the sun throughout the day. The collector system focuses the sunlight into 127 optical fibers connected to hybrid light fixtures equipped with diffusion rods visually similar to fluorescent light bulbs. These rods spread light in all directions. One collector powers eight to 12 hybrid light fixtures, which can illuminate about 1,000 square feet. During times of little or no sunlight, a sensor controls the intensity of the artificial lamps to maintain a constant level of illumination.

In the mid-1980's I saw a clip on television about this technology. Named "Sunflower" it was employed in some high-rise office buildings in Japan. The same program featured a boat with paddles that were drivin entirely by the motion of the ocean and could travel at good speeds, in any direction, in breaking waves or deep sea swells. I tried googling the subjects a couple of years ago with no luck, haden't heard a peep of either invention until now.
- steve 8-21-2006 11:10 pm [add a comment]

a similar technology for transmitting solar light through fiber-optic tubes had already been created in Japan. But according to the Oak Ridge scientists, their system has an advantage over the Japanese Himawari (sunflower) method in that it would move the technology from its current luxury niche market and into more widespread usage.
- steve 8-21-2006 11:27 pm [add a comment]