FANIE NEETHLINGSunlight harvesting is the way to go for businesses that want to save on energy costs and preserve the environment
Sunlight harvesting systems supplier Light Sculptors reports that its services have been well received by the South African wine industry and food manufacturing industry. Light Sculptors is the first company to focus on developing and selling sunlight harvesting systems for the South African market.
Company CEO Fanie Neethling tells Engineering News that, although the concept of sunlight harvesting has been in use for many decades in places such as Chile and the US, the concept only came into the South African market two years ago.
The system uses daylight to offset the amount of electric lighting needed to properly light a space, thereby reducing energy consumption.
The installation process sees the company install microprismatic harvester domes on the roof of a building. A second skin is placed on the roof to prevent leakage, with a polycarbonate lens in the building’s ceiling.
“The dome harvests the sunlight, providing light that shines on the lens on the building’s ceiling and focuses the light on the work floor, eliminating the need to use electricity,” Neethling explains.
This combination uses daylight hours and evenly distributes light levels of between 80 lux to 1 000 lux which can be achieved in standard industrial buildings.
He further states this method is set apart from similar systems, particularly the skylight method, as it focuses the light on an area that has been specified by the client, and thereby does not waste light.
Neethling says Light Sculptors has also invented a Sun Gazer that automatically turns on electric lights when the sun is not shining.
Further, the system also prevents the sun’s heat penetrating the building, as the dome and the lens have heat absorption properties, leaving a cushion of air in-between.
“The systems use 0.4% of the roof space to light up the floor, while other transparent sheeting, for instance, uses between 14% and 20% of the roof space, for comparative light-levels,” remarks Neethling.
Light Sculptors began developing the sun- light harvesting product when it was established in 2012, and only started selling a year ago.
“We have had a specific focus on the wine industry in the Cape and we have already fitted the system in many food and agriculture business buildings, both there and in Johannesburg,” states Neethling, adding that the company has also been receiving orders from property developers that lease their buildings to busi- nesses in an attempt to cut energy costs.
He says Light Sculptors already installed sunlight harvesting systems in several business buildings in towns, such as Malmesbury, Vredendal, Worcester, Middelburg, Paarl and Johannesburg.