Daylighting reduces the need for electric light by introducing natural light into a building and improves indoor environmental quality. Numerous daylight transport systems have been developed to improve natural illumination in the deep core of buildings. However, there is no available solutions that can bring daylight into buildings deeper than 30m, and thus are not suitable for deep-plan and high-rise buildings.
The ECHYNOXE SILICA project consists on the development of a new concept of daylighting using sun tracker and highly light-transmitting fibre optics coupled with Fresnel lenses. With the ECHYNOXE SILICA technology, daylight can be transmitted on distances of more than 100m. This disruptive innovation has the potential to widen the market of daylighting systems to all types of buildings.
The project is leaded by an innovative French SME, ECHY which develops daylighting devices based on fibre optics technology for natural lighting, to improve the quality of diffused light and to reduce electricity consumption. The strategy of the company is the improvement of the technology via R&D efforts while commercializing and making the first references of the technology.
This feasibility study was composed of two parts:
In a first time, ECHY’s staff have performed a technical economic study to design the most efficient system in terms of light transmission by minimizing the manufacturing costs. Then a scale one prototype has been produced and installed in a deep-plan building. This deep-plan building is based in France, near Paris. Daylight is over distances of more than 150m. The output luminous flux is more than 500 lumens per fiber for 100m distance. In addition, the integrity of sunlight spectrum is conserved. The reduction of energy consumption for lighting is 30 kWh/m²/year.
In a second time, a business plan has been elaborated. As the technical results of the ECHYNOXE SILICA project are very encouraging, the business plan has highlighted the strategy to be implemented by ECHY for the commercialization of the ECHYNOXE SILICA product. It requires a network of distributors and fitters all over the world. This strategy will be presented in a SME Instrument Phase 2 project.
The ECHY project answers to current directions towards greener buildings implying sustainable design and healthy environments for people as it reduces energy consumption of building and transmitted natural light improves wellbeing of exposed people.
