Abstract
Recently, many research studies have been carried out on the efficiency of light-shelf daylighting systems, especially comparing performance improvements and the limitations of reflective surfaces and their lighting performance. In this study, a crystal face reflective surface is proposed. The objective of the study is to evaluate the lighting performance of a crystal face light-shelf through a performance study. The performance study was carried out in a full scale test-bed in order to calculate the light distribution and energy consumption utilizing the standard indoor illumination as an index. The conclusions of the performance study are as follows. 1) The optimal angle of incidence for daylighting for both the operable flat type light-shelf and the crystal face light-shelf are taken in the natural environment on the dates of the winter and summer solstices, as well as the autumn and spring equinoxes. 2) The application and installation of the crystal face light-shelf can produce a 29.9%~34.3% increase of light distribution within the indoor space. However, the increase of light distribution can also lead to a decrease in the uniformity ratio, a design challenge that should be considered when applying a crystal face light-shelf. 3) It is possible to achieve a 7.98%~13.3% greater reduction in energy consumption when applying a crystal face light-shelf than when applying a flat type light-shelf. The increase in the number of crystal faces should concur with the analysis of the energy reduction. A limitation of the study is that only one predetermined pattern was performance tested for a crystal face light-shelf. In order to carry out further research on crystal face light-shelves, additional performance studies are needed based on alternative patterns and designs.
