Sunlight Direct
A spin-off from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Sunlight Direct opened in 2004 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The company gained exclusive rights to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Hybrid Solar lighting patents in 2005. In the same year, Sunlight Direct began testing a beta unit Hybrid Solar lighting system designed by Duncan Earl, the company's Chairman and Chief Technology Officer.
Hybrid Solar Lighting combines the benefit of natural lighting with the convenience and reliability of a typical artificial lighting system. The Hybrid Solar Lighting system has a solar collector to direct sunlight into optical fibers that distribute light to a building. It is called hybrid because the light fixtures, called hybrid luminaries, blend the natural light with artificial light, adjusting intensities to give the room constant illumination. Sunlight Direct's initial target markets are LEED certified buildings, as well as retailers in the southwest and Hawaii.
The company gained a contract with the UNLV Foundation in 2006 to continue the development of the fiber optic bundle using new materials, conduct optical and mechanical tests of the bundles, and develop a low-cost, real-time monitoring/control system for the hybrid light units using remote communication systems. As of February of 2007, Sunlight Direct completed Beta Trials and are preparing for product launch.
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