Full Description

This paper discusses the operational mechanism of an innovative horizontal skylight system incorporating a microstructure prismatic optical element. The skylight system constantly rejects the direct radiation of sunlight while it transmits the diffuse scattered skylight, thereby creating a significant potential to improve the daylight and thermal efficiencies of buildings. By developing two parametric iterative algorithms to simulate the unique optical behaviors of the proposed skylight, the authors evaluated the ability of the system in providing a uniform distribution of daylight in a useful range, eliminating glare occurrence, and reducing the energy consumption of buildings compared to other skylight systems.