Use in passive solar architecture of solar dousers with a seasonal effect

The main objective of this research is that of verifying the ability of PMMA prismatic sheets to act as sunlight dousers in civil architecture, by means of the optical effect called "total internal reflection". The behavior of these devices has been calculated theoretically with a computerized calculation programme and experimentally investigated with a light transmission apparatus, designed and built to this purpose. Other apparatuses have also built to test the performance of these prismatic sheets, assembled in a real size architectural component, in controlling sunlight admission into dwellings. This paper describes the work done for the design and construction of the testing apparatuses and give results of the behavior of the prismatic sheets tested on the light transmission apparatus.