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telracs23
Joined: 02 Apr 2007
Posts: 5
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 Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 7:43 pm Post subject: using mirrors to introduce light within the building |
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Hi Guys,
i was jus thinking that if growing plants on highrise within the house is possible by introducing sunlight in using mirrors. Like having a curved mirror at the front of the house and it starts to reflect the light in throught another mirror on the ceiling and thought allowing plants to grow indoors. What are the problems of this idea and if its feasible? Because growing of plants in highrise has always been done only at the balcony, thinking of growing plants even within the house itself. I know there are artificial lighting available for plants to grow indoors, but i am hoping to get a mechnical solution for this and therefore i thought of mirros.
Pls help! |
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lekizz
Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 954
Location: UK
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| Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:25 am Post subject: |
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| Mirrored devices have been used in large buildings to get light deep inside - for example the Reichstag in Berlin or the Senedd in Cardiff. However, most domestic spaces (houses, apartments) are designed to use natural light from windows to illuminate the interior. Doesn't your highrise have any windows?! |
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telracs23
Joined: 02 Apr 2007
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:15 am Post subject: |
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well i am proposing to grow crops even within the building besides having it to be only on the exterior areas. The floor ht is low...so if the depth of the building is abt 10-12m, not much light can get in...and i do not want to use artificial light. Therefore i am proposing mirrors...
is it feasible? will it make the space uncomfortable? |
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lekizz
Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 954
Location: UK
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| Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:41 am Post subject: |
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Call me negative if you want, but it sounds completely unworkable. Crops (well all of them I know about) require good daylight, generally good sunlight to flourish. That is why people who grow cannabis in their attics have those power-hungry lamps (which the police pick up using infra red cameras!).
I have been working on a project recently which uses solar light tubes, basically ...erm ...tubes with a highly reflective interior surface. But believe me the light degrades significantly as the length of the tube increases. Over a distance of a couple of metres they work quite effectively, but 12 metres would not be practical!
Though plants are unlikely to be embarrassed by their own reflection, I suggest you increase the floor-ceiling height or move the little green critters closer to the edge of your building.
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Kevin
Site Admin
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 1048
Location: Eugene, Oregon
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| Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:56 am Post subject: |
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Mirrors can certainly help light the interior of a tall building with daylight.
Plants can certainly be grown in that interior light.
But growing crops inside? You can calculate the insolation required by the crops for productive growth, and consider the potential collecting area of the mirrors. You're probably not going to want to spread that sunlight from the top or edges of the building out over a much larger interior area - because of the light level needed by the plants.
The full sunlight on the mirrors represents the maximum energy you can collect. Mirrors can move sunlight around, but they can't increase the total energy beyond their own collecting area. |
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Madimel
Joined: 06 Feb 2008
Posts: 111
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:30 pm Post subject: |
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| most people who tries to grow "crops" indoors are referring to "wacky tobaccy" |
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nanrehvasconez
Joined: 25 Feb 2008
Posts: 59
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| Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 2:02 pm Post subject: |
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| The March 17th, 08 issue of Newsweek magazine, under PROJECT GREEN has a reference to heliostatic devises used to provide sunlight to a park. Heliostats are used in Europe. |
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JonBailey
Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 104
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| Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 9:07 am Post subject: |
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they already make lights, where the ducts are highly reflective or mirrored surfaces which bring light from the outside of the building in to where you would normally have a bulb. these come in many varieties. to my knowledge, heliostats are usually used as exterior applications to redirect sunlight where tall buildings block the light. this could also be used in other obvious cases such as deep courtyard/atrium areas in high rise buildings, where little to no [direct] light sometimes goes.
there are also other techniques which help, by moving mechanical systems to the floor and using vaulted ceiling, which help to bring the light further back into the building.
this is response to the picture above:
a square might not be the best shape for this structure -- you are trying to capture maximum sunlight, yet you are using a form which allows little to no daylighting in the interior or northern side of the building. light tubes can help you, but perhaps trying to design a form which maximums solar efficiency. i agree that the floor to ceiling heights needs to increase slightly.
i think that the future is our crops growing on skyscrapers. we are running out of land and there will eventually be a larger population than we have room to grow crops. we already know that vertical density is something we are going to have the solve for residential matters, but we also need to be thinking on this level as well.
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Jon Bailey
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