Proper

Abstract

The use of energy has increased worldwide and resultantly, the issue of reducing the use of energy is increasingly gaining attention as a social issue. The use of energy to light buildings has reached 28% of all energy consumed by buildings and such energy usage patterns are expected to gradually rise. Efforts have been made to induce natural light into buildings as more ultra-high-rise buildings with glass material-based facades have become prevalent within cities. However, greater areas of glass surfaces have exacerbated problems associated with direct sunlight such as heat-related discomforts, large heating/cooling energy loads, and glare issues. In light of such problems, building residents typically block direct sunlight using various methods such as blinds or shades. Such methods, however, reduce the influx of natural light indoors and result in an increase in energy consumption for lighting purposes. This study, therefore, proposes the use of prism sheets by exploring its application to a building facade to refract natural light and induce light to reach within deep areas indoors. This is to achieve the purposes of reducing energy consumption to light buildings and improving brightness in an effort to improve light environments for indoor building residents.