Light shelves are architectural elements that diffuse natural light into a room, reducing the need for artificial lighting. They provide shade near windows and can be added later to increase energy efficiency. They work best on sunny days and need to be maintained regularly. They can benefit health and psychological well-being and increase worker satisfaction.
A light shelf is an architectural element designed to diffuse natural light into a room, reducing the need for artificial lighting. Light shelves also provide shade near windows, reducing glare and keeping rooms cool when temperatures rise. This design feature can be integrated into a building at the time of construction or added later to increase energy efficiency. Along with things like skylights and light pipes, light shelves are considered “daylighting” devices, meaning they’re designed to reduce the use of artificial lighting during the day.
For a light shelf to be effective, the ceilings in the room typically need to be high, to provide plenty of room for light. The shelf is positioned above eye level in a window and can be placed both indoors and out. On its top surface, the light shelf is coated in a reflective material so that when light hits it, the light bounces off and hits the ceiling, propelling the light deep into the room. When the room is painted in light colors, these light colors combined with the light shelf are often enough to brighten the space without the need for a lamp.
In the Northern Hemisphere, light corbels are usually placed along the southern edge of a building, so they can catch the most sunlight. This is reversed in the southern hemisphere, where light corbels should be placed on the north side of a building for maximum exposure. Either way, light shelves need to be maintained on a regular basis to ensure they are as reflective as possible so they continue to be effective.
The main disadvantage of a light shelf is that it only works on sunny days. When the sky is overcast, the light shelf will be able to scatter some light, but not enough to make a significant difference, and will usually need to be supplemented with artificial light. These architectural elements can be designed to blend in with the look and feel of a building so that they are unobtrusive, although they will certainly be visible. When shelves are installed indoors, people should be reminded not to store or display items on the shelf, as this can disrupt the flow of light.
In addition to increasing energy efficiency by eliminating the need for artificial light during the day, illuminated shelves can also benefit the health and psychological well-being of the people who use the spaces they illuminate. Natural light appears to be very beneficial, especially when compared to lighting options such as fluorescent lighting, and can also make a space more pleasant to work in, thereby increasing worker satisfaction.
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