Energy saving in road tunnels by means of transparent tension structures

Abstract

The high and constant rate of energy consumption in road tunnels has led researchers to look for more and more efficient lamps and luminaries. The solutions developed have partially contributed to energy saving but consumption is still high, specially in the threshold zone which requires very high levels of luminance, and the solutions found still have important contras like colour performance. In this work, we present a completely different solution: the extension of the “threshold zone” out of the tunnel by means of a transparent tension structure to let visible solar radiation go into the tunnel and achieve the required levels of luminance during daytime without any kind of electrical lighting.