Lighting can be achieved by many of the same collector and monitor elements used for heating and cooling. Light selves and louvers in the building interior can be used to distributed the collected light. Laboratory demonstrations have shown the use of light guides and holographic films effective in improving day lighting. These systems are usually achieved in conjunction with each other. The same collectors can be used for both heating and lighting.
Insulation serves to both prevent heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.
Storage elements can be used by both heating and cooling elements. And daylighting reduces the need for interior lights, removing a heat source from the interior and thereby improving the cooling. The difference arises in that in active systems, the heat is then pumped to the load. Collectors transmit the light to an absorbing material. The collectors generally have a glaze, which is transparent to the light, but which prevents contact between the ambient air and the absorber.