LightManufacturing of California delivered an array of four H1 Heliostats to Belgium to provide heat and light to an apartment building. The heliostats – sun-tracking mirrors – were installed on a garden wall, and shine light into North–facing windows. These windows normally get no direct sun, but with the addition of the heliostats get bright, warm sun for hours a day. The private client reports “when mid-day temperatures are hotter than 20°C (70F) we target the light onto the balconies. This creates one VIP ‘seat in the sun’ for each balcony”.
“When mid-day temperatures are colder, we shine right into the apartments… to bring extra heat into the building”. Each H1 heliostat funnels up to 1300 Watts of heat, and 115,000 lumens of light into a structure. LightManufacturing’s heliostats include wireless remote control capability, so operators can move the reflected light from balcony to windows at the click of a button. The client continues, “we sometimes change the targets of the heliostats using the wireless control system. For example, there’s one tenant that’s spending a month abroad. In his absence that heliostat is re-oriented to another apartment”.LightManufacturing introduced the H1 heliostat in 2012, and has shipped the systems to numerous clients in the US and international destinations including Belgium, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and more.Solar Plastic MoldingLightManufacturing developed the H1 to support its patentedsolar plastic molding systems, which make products like water tanks and boats without using fossil fuels. The firm began receiving inquiries about the heliostat as a stand-alone product, and responded by offering the H1 heliostat for sale to the general public.The firm claims the H1 is the world’s lowest cost–per–reflected–watt, professional grade heliostat. “We’ve designed it as a robust, industrial-strength tool for larger architectural clients and solar thermal projects” says CEO Karl von Kries, “but we’ve also made it easy for home-owners to install and enjoy”.Additional Apartment Heliostat Photos:
