Glow-in-the-Dark Concrete Offers Energy Savings

NightTec (pictured) is an innovator in "light cycling," the process of recycling light. In Australia, Boral has released a similar product called Luminesque, a patented concrete aggregate application using the same concept of absorbing natural night to glow brightly in the dark for hours following exposure to sunlight.

German-based manufacturers Kann and NightTec have collaborated to develop glow in the dark concrete pavers called NightTec Leuchsteine.

Phosphorescent crystals are embedded into the concrete surface to capture energy from the sun, and will emit light every evening for approximately 10 hours. Designed for industrial use, the pavers reduce the need for artificial light in dark environments, making them a "green' energy source.

The pavers provide innovative safety applications, such as in the stairwells of high-rise buildings, delineating emergency exit paths or marking doorways. While the light emitted is not intensely bright, NightTec describes the pavers' illumination as adequate to light up airplane or helicopter pads at night.

Although the pavers appear white in the sunlight, their evening glow will reflect in either blue or green depending on the selected coating. In residential environments, it is popular on floors, pool decks and even tabletops and countertops. As a flooring product, the pavers eliminate the need for added finishes like carpet or timber.

Some countries concerned with energy savings have taken to glow in the dark aggregate technology as a new sustainable material. With a global industry focus on environmental initiatives, the potential of this product and others like it breathes new life into the durable and low-maintenance attributes of concrete.