• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.424-433
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness in the lighting performance of mixed type light-shelf, by comparing and analyzing the internal light-shelf, external light-shelf, and mixed-type light-shelf. The performance of light-shelf was evaluated according to the angle of light-shelf at summer solstice, winter solstice, vernal equinox, and autumn equinox. The comparative analysis between the internal light-shelf, external light-shelf, and mixed-type light-shelf was carried out using the performance evaluation and analysis method. The result of performance evaluation is shown as follows. The mixed type light-shelf showed the highest lighting performance all at summer solstice, winter solstice, vernal equinox, and autumn equinox, followed by the external light-shelf and the internal light-shelf in the same order. The mixed type light-shelf was the most favorable for bringing daylight to indoors by adjusting the angle of light-shelf, and it also showed the highest lighting performance in terms of uniformity ratio of illumination which indicates the quality of light.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.57-64
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• 2016

Purpose: Recently, lighting energy consumption in buildings has been gradually increasing and more studies are being carried out in order to solve this problem. Especially, the efficiency of the light-shelf system, which is a natural lighting system, has been recognized as a potential solution in addressing this problem and so various studies regarding the light-shelf system are being conducted. However, if high luminance material is used for the light-shelf system, glaring may occur in certain circumstances even though such material increases efficiency, and there are also difficulties related to maintenance and management in the case of an external light-shelf system. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to suggest modifications in relation to the reflectivity of the light-shelf system and introduce a rolling type light-shelf system with built-in cleaning equipment. In addition, a performance evaluation technique was established to verify its effectiveness. Method: In this study, we reviewed previous studies related to the light-shelf system and its performance. Then a testbed was established to assess the performance of the rolling-type light-shelf system suggested in this study. Also, the performance of the rolling-type light-shelf system suggested in this study was compared and analyzed with that of existent light-shelf systems in order to better verify the performance, and the uniformity ratio of illumination and lighting energy consumption were calculated for this purpose. Result: The results of the performance evaluation are as follows. 1) The performance evaluation result of the light-shelf system on the day of the summer solstice shows that $30^{\circ}$ is appropriate for the angle of light-shelf system, and the depth of the incoming natural light also increases as the angle of the light shelf increases. 2) It is possible to improve the uniformity ratio of illumination by increasing the reflectivity of the light shelf, and the reason for this is the increase in the amount of incoming light entering indoors due to the increased reflectivity of the light shelf. 3) The rolling type light-shelf system suggested in this study enables energy saving in comparison with existent light-shelf systems, and when the external illuminance decreases to 60,000 lx and 40,000 lx during the summer solstice due to factors such as the weather, the suggested light-shelf system can save energy by 12.1% and 5.1% respectively. Thus the light-shelf system proposed in this study is deemed to be effective in reducing energy costs.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.47-55
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• 2016

Purpose: As the energy consumed by buildings increases, there is a growing need for studies and technology development to address this issue. One of the solutions to excessive energy use by buildings is the light-shelf, which is a natural lighting system enabling efficient reduction in light energy, and research in this area has been intensive. However, most of the studies about the light-shelf are limited to the light environment, and thus the application of their findings to an actual environment in the form of a design may be problematic. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to provide fundamental data for light-shelf design by carrying out a light-shelf performance evaluation on the basis of the light environment and the heating and cooling environment. Method: In the present study, a testbed was established to conduct a light-shelf performance evaluation by measuring the electric power consumption of lighting and heating and cooling devices depending on the existence of a light-shelf and its angle. Result: The findings of the present study are as follows: 1) With respect to the uniformity of the indoor light environment amenity, the optimum angle of a light-shelf was found to be $30^{\circ}$ for the summer solstice and the winter solstice. 2) With respect to the reduction of electric power consumption by indoor lighting devices, the optimum light-shelf angle at the summer solstice is $30^{\circ}$, at which time electric power consumption may be reduced by 10.2% in comparison with when no light-shelf is applied. However, at the winter solstice, a light-shelf may increase the energy consumption for lighting in comparison with when no light-shelf is applied, and this should be taken into account in the design of a light-shelf. 3) In terms of reducing the electric power consumption of heating and cooling devices, the optimum angle of a light-shelf was found to be $30^{\circ}$ for the summer solstice, while a light-shelf is inappropriate for the winter solstice since a light-shelf creates shade and thus increases the heating energy consumption. 4) To summarize the findings above, the optimum angle of a light-shelf is $30^{\circ}$ for the summer solstice, but the installation of a light-shelf may in some circumstances increase the energy consumed by lighting devices as well as by heating and cooling devices. Therefore, more studies and technology development may need to be performed to solve the problem of increased energy consumption at the winter solstice.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.83-90
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• 2017

Purpose: With the increase in the energy consumption in the building sector, many studies have recently been conducted to address this issue. Due to its efficiency, diverse studies on a light-shelf, which is a natural lighting system, are in progress. However, there has been no research on the external illumination that determines the performance of a light-shelf. Therefore, the present study aimed to prepare the external illumination standard for securing the lighting performance of a light-shelf through the light-shelf performance evaluation based on a 1:1 scale testbed, and to suggest a height-adjustable light-shelf based on an open and closed concept for the case in which the lighting performance of the light-shelf significantly deteriorates, by collecting the external illumination. Method: In this study, a 1:1 scale testbed was established for performance evaluation, and the external illumination standard for securing the performance of the light-shelf was prepared by comparing the lighting performance of the light-shelf depending on the open and closed condition of the light-shelf and the external illumination. Result: 1) In this study, a light-shelf that can be opened or closed depending on the external illumination was suggested. As a result, the prospect right can be secured by creating the condition where there is no light-shelf installation by moving the light-shelf to the top of the window when the lighting performance is not secured. 2) In the summer solstice, the external illuminations appropriate for lighting energy reduction were more than 75,000 lx and 60,000 lx for the light-shelf width of 0.3 m and 0.6 m, respectively. 3) In the intermediate period, the external illumination appropriate for lighting energy reduction was 60,000 lx. In the winter solstice, making the condition where there is no light-shelf installation by closing the light-shelf would be appropriate. 4) Based on the aforementioned results, the external illumination standard for the opening and closing of the height-adjustable light-shelf based on an open and closed concept suggested in this study was 60,000 lx, and the light-shelf with a width of 0.6 m would be advantageous for lighting energy reduction.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.49-56
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• 2015

Purpose: Due to recent increase on energy consumption for light in building, many studies to mitigate this issue have been conducted. Various researches have been carried out to suggest light shelf as one of the solutions, but researches for its reflectivity is very few. In fact, existing research on light shelf shows that utilizing more than 90% of high-illumination materials causes imbalance of glare and illuminance. Method: Therefore this research aimed to evaluate the performance of light shelves depending on reflectivity and to identify proper solution through test-bed. Result: The results are following: 1) Increased reflectivity generally contributed to increase of indoor illuminance but degrade uniformity factor related with indoor comfort of light environment. 2) The $0^{\circ}fixed$ light shelf with 75% of reflectivity and width of 300mm and 40mm appeared to consume more energy than other shelves. Therefore, it is analyzed as unsuitable. 3) This research was conducted by calculating appropriate angle of light shelf around winter and summer solstices and vernal/autumnal equinox. Based on this, performance evaluation was undertaken depending on reflectivity of movable light shelf, which is activated by external sources and can be applied with lower reflectivity than fixed shelf. However, one exception was a movable shelf with width of 600mm that increased light energy consumption when 75% of reflectivity was applied. 4) Performance evaluation of fixed and movable light shelf showed that the shelf with 80% of reflectivity came up with suitable results, but 75% of reflectivity may be applied depending on the width and angle of the shelf. This research is meaningful in that estimation of appropriate reflectivity of light shelf can resolve the glare problem and improve light environment, and further research would be desirable under more diverse conditions to identify proper solution.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.91-97
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• 2017

Purpose: Various studies on a light shelf are in progress, but it has the problem of glare occurrence. The present study suggested a diffusion film as the method for resolving the glare problem, and aimed to establish light shelf-related basic data by conducting the performance evaluation of a light shelf depending on the installation position of the diffusion film. Method: To carry out the light shelf performance evaluation depending on the diffusion film installation position, three cases were established: no diffusion film installation (Case 1), diffusion film installation on the reflector (Case 2), and diffusion film installation on the upper glass surface of the window for light shelf installation (Case 3); and the energy reduction performance, luminance, and luminance contrast were analyzed based on a testbed. Result: The conclusions of this study are as follows. 1) When the diffusion film was applied, the amount of light introduced through the light shelf decreased, and the average indoor illumination decreased accordingly. 2) For Case 3, the lighting energy reduction performance was identical to the lighting energy reduction efficiency of the existing light shelf; and for Case 2, it was found to be inappropriate as the lighting energy consumption increased compared to that of the existing light shelf. 3) The analysis of the glare for the cases established in this study showed that the luminance contrast was low for Case 3, and thus the glare problem could be minimized. 4) The specific angle of the light shelf could induce the glare problem by increasing the luminance depending on the external condition. 5) Based on the aforementioned contents, the installation position of the diffusion film for improving the lighting performance and glare problem of the light shelf was found to be the upper glass surface of the window for light shelf installation.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.5-13
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• 2014

Various studies on lighting energy savings are conducted, given that lighting energy consumption accounts 23.5% of building energy consumption. Especially, external type light shelf's efficiency is acknowledged; however, its application is limited in Korea, where high rise building ratio is high, due to high wind pressure. This study delves into natural lighting system to cope with wind pressure, and proposes the punching plate-installed light shelf. This study actually draws lighting energy output, according to whether the punching plate is applied through the test-bed, and verifies the effectiveness of the punching plate-installed light shelf. The conclusion is presented below: First) The result of performance evaluation of light shelf with the punching plate in winter solstice showed that the awning area decreased as the opening ratio increased so that the indoor distributed illumination tended to increase, and $-40^{\circ}$ which was advantageous for awning was determined as the proper angle. Second) The light shelf with the punching plate in spring/autumn equinox shows improved lighting according to the angle, and the appropriate angle of light shelf with the punching plate has increased to $15^{\circ}$ and $20^{\circ}$ according to the opening ratio in comparison to $5^{\circ}C$ which is the appropriate angle of light shelf with no punching plate due to the reflection area reduced by the reflecting plate with holes. Third) The result of performance evaluation of light shelf with the punching plate in summer solstice showed that the lighting performance tended to decrease as the opening ratio increased. 4) The light shelf with the punching plate incurs a 50% energy loss in comparison to the light shelf with no punching plate. However, its effectiveness has been proven in the aspects that it can bring a 50% energy saving in comparison to the case with no installation of light shelf and that it can be designed in response to wind pressure on the high floors.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.133-140
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of the light-shelf system combined with IT to save lighting energy in resident space. According to the multiple variables that affected intensity of illumination, various experiments were designed and conducted. The main findings of this study were following: (1)the optimal level of light-shelf system was formulated which met the appropriate range of intensity of illumination in living-room; (2)although the mixed light-shelf system indicated a high performance, it could often provide discomforts to residents according to the degree of exposure; (3)artificial lights using light-shelf system combined with IT showed a higher effectiveness than those using fixed light-shelf system displayed. This study provided initial information of light-shelf system formative processes that could contribute to the lighting energy diminution. Future studies should focus more on multiple approaches regarding different types of resident space planning.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.395-401
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• 2015

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.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.181-192
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• 2014

Light-shelf is one of the most efficient natural lighting systems due to the improved function of the inflow level of the outdoor natural light. However, the existing research on the light shelf limits to the rectangular parallelepiped space, so do not provide sufficient data for various shapes of spaces. Thus, this study aims at deriving proper plan and relationship of the light shelf through its performance assessment depending on the indoor space shapes and utilizing them as basic data of light shelf design. The conclusions are as follows : 1) for 6m space depth, standard intensity of illumination satisfaction depth has shown 8.3%~26.3% improvement through the adjustment of the angle and width when installing light shelf compared to no light shelf installation; 2) $-30^{\circ}$, $-20^{\circ}$ and $-10^{\circ}$ light shelves set by this study play only as a blind regardless of the shape of ceiling on the summer solstice, and it is unsuitable; and 3) this study has derived proper plan of light shelf upon space shapes based on energy reduction and indoor evenness. The study results provide expanded data of the performance assessment of the light shelves according to the different space shapes and light shelf factors, which serves as a basis of the light shelves designing.