At ETH Zurich, the sun shines at the touch of a button
Published: Thursday, Feb 1st 2024, 14:30
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The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) has put an artificial sun into operation. According to the university, the sun shines in the room of a new laboratory at the touch of a button, just as it does at midday in the Sahara or in January in Berlin.
This could be used in experiments to test how efficient elements such as a façade or building technology are under different climatic conditions. Arno Schlueter, Professor of Architecture and Building Systems, told the Keystone-SDA news agency.
The heart of the laboratory, called the "Zero Carbon Building Systems Lab", is an artificial sun consisting of 875 LED chips. These emit light in various solar spectra, from visible light to the infrared range. The artificial sun is attached to a pivoting arm, which allows it to imitate the path of the sun. "We can produce solar radiation from almost anywhere in the world, together with humidity and temperature," said Schlueter.
The walls, floors and ceilings of the laboratory can be replaced with prototypes. This allows them to be tested on site and quickly developed further. The researchers want to use them, for example, to produce façades that can react to the sun - "which, for example, let in as much solar radiation and therefore heat as possible in winter, but block solar radiation in summer," explained Schlueter.
In this way, the energy balance can be optimized, as less heating is required in winter and less cooling in summer.
©Keystone/SDA
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