I was watching T.V. last night and came across a program introducing New Horizons Academy in Nevada, and how they hope to create one of the greenest classrooms in Nevada by building eco-friendly. What caught my attention was their installation of a Hybrid Solar Lighting (HSL), which uses a solar concentrator and filter to collect and distribute sunlight from the roof into the interior of the classroom via fiber optic cables (an innovative product from Sunlight Direct).
This product’s developers and the school believes that this natural light, in place of traditional artificial light, helps children, especially those with ADHD, focus and perform in class. After a little research, there are many who are proponents of this view, and many who are skeptical about this conclusion. Those who are for it, argue that this usage of natural light not only reduce our carbon emissions, but also has health benefits. Those who are skeptical point out that it is too early to draw any conclusions about its health benefits, and the technology is still too expensive for schools to realistically consider.
Regardless of this debate, I just found the idea neat…and thought of how we take many things for granted – for example glaring, fluorescent lights. It may be too early to determine which side is right, but it’s still good to remember that there is always a better way to do things, especially when it has a potential to improve the health of our future generations.
What do you think? As a parent, have you had any experience with this?
