• KIEAE Journal
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.137-145
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• 2010

Active sunlighting systems have been applied to deliver sunlight into the indoor space where natural light is insufficient, mainly because of the congested high-rise buildings in urban areas. Among various active sunlighting systems, a mirror sunlighting system which is simple structure and economically reasonable has been widely used in different types of spaces such as underground, north facing place and atrium. This study was to evaluate the mirror sunlighting systems, which were consisted of the first mirror of $3.5m{\times}2.5m$, the eight sets of the second mirrors of $1.0m{\times}1.25m$ and a sun tracker. Ten sets of the systems were installed for 40 apartment living rooms, the configuration of $3.5m(W){\times}4.0m(D){\times}2.5m(H)$ where sunlighting were not possible due to high retaining walls located in the front of the living rooms. The 45 HOBO data logger sensors for the indoor illuminance were equipped and 2 Li-cor photometers for outdoor illuminance. Both indoor and outdoor horizontal illuminances were monitored every second from 9am to 3pm on 17 January 2010 under clear sky condition. The results showed that the indoor illuminance of installed mirror sunlighting system was significant relationship with outdoor illuminance and increased the indoor illuminance level by 4.2 times on the whole floor space, by 8 times on the sun patch space of 6m2 and even by 2 times on the no sun patch space. In addition, the luminous conditions of the living room under real sky conditions met the KS recommendation for difficult task (600-1000-1500 lux) such as sewing and reading on whole floor space and sun patch space. It was proved that the benefits of mirror sunlighting systems included an effective technology for penetrating daylight into indoors where sunlighting was not possible and improving occupants' satisfaction and health, and contributing to energy saving in apartments during daytime.