Light Shelf Daylighting System Ray Tracing BrightShelf®

BrightShelf® Light Shelf Design

BrightShelf® light shelves are designed with performance and functionality in mind. Our unique ogee-curved design efficiently and accurately redirects incident sunlight deep into the building space in an even pattern. The secret is the ogee shape.

The ogee curve is initially a concave curve followed by a convex curve. The BrightShelf® utilizes this patented optical shape to direct sunlight that hits the initial concave surface deep into the building space while light hitting the concave portion is directed back toward the shelf. This, in effect, double washes the ceiling with natural daylight in a very even pattern. Because the angle of the shelf curve is constantly changing, the sun light rays are precisely directed in a multitude of angles, no matter what the solar altitude or azimuth the sun is. The result: A superior amount of actual and perceived natural daylight injected deep into the building space.

The BrightShelf® is intended to be installed in new construction or retrofit applications of commercial spaces such as office, retail, institutional, or manufacturing space. Anywhere that sunlight is cast upon window surfaces a BrightShelf® can be installed. BrightShelf’s® lightweight design and unique attachment clips make it quick and easy to install to a variety of substrates such as vertical curtain wall mullions, storefront, studs, or masonry. BrightShelf® panels can be installed in both punch window applications (single window units), or as continuous segmented runs of a window system.

A BrightShelf® light shelf, by itself, is not a complete daylighting system. Many other factors must also be addressed in properly designing a daylight harvesting system. See Light Shelf 101 for more information on proper light shelf system design.