"....Let there be light...." and there will be light.

[epicstruggle]

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa004&articleID=0003D349-29E0-1417-A66B83414B7F0000

Springtime light may lift the spirits, but in Rattenberg, residents have a long memory for shadows. From late fall to midwinter, this tiny Austrian town, famous for its glassblowing, gets no sun at all. And it has been that way for centuries. Next time, though, the villagers may finally see the light--thanks to giant rotating mirrors known as heliostats. Bartenbach Light Laboratory in the Austrian Tyrol plans to begin construction of the heliostats this August. "The idea is not just to light the village," says Silvia Pezzana, an engineer at the firm. "The idea is to give them the impression they have sun."

 

[Guden Oden]

If it's been this way for centuries, wouldn't giant heliostats ruin the cultural heritage of the village? Besides, what would the upkeep be on an installation like that, provided it's actually big enough to give any discernible amount of light to an entire village (which, I have to admit, isn't a standardized area unit... )

 

[StefanS]

If it's been this way for centuries, wouldn't giant heliostats ruin the cultural heritage of the village? Besides, what would the upkeep be on an installation like that, provided it's actually big enough to give any discernible amount of light to an entire village (which, I have to admit, isn't a standardized area unit... )

Well, the 15 mirrors who each have an area of 2.62 m² are positioned a quarter of a mile away. Without knowing their focus, however, it can't tell you how how big the spot will be or how effective it is going to be.
BTW, the poor citizens of Rattenberg have been the subject of studies before, IIRC. Some psychologists tried to find find out how their mood changed during the "sunless" months.