Design and Performance Assessment of a Locally Developed Solar Pipe Light

In recent times, there has been an increased demand for alternative energy sources in place of conventional sources for improved environmental conditions, and sustainable way of living. Utilization of daylight for illumination of building interior in place of electricity is a viable means of energy saving. A simple, cost-effective product for daylight exploitation is a solar pipe light. In this context, the design of a solar pipe light is proposed which can redirect natural light without bringing in glare or excessive heat. The design has been constructed and tested in a laboratory. The constructed sample has been implemented at the RIMSO Foundation Battery Manufacturing Factory and its performance has been evaluated at different weather conditions based on Daylight Factor (DF), minimum Daylight Autonomy (DAm), and Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI). A desirable DF at both laboratory tests and field tests proves the usefulness of the solar pipe light. Considering the results, solar pipe light has great potential to serve the needs for sustainable alternative lighting in the context of Bangladesh.