A group of Vietnamese scientists have applied for a patent in the United States for an indoor lighting device that is powered by sunlight rather than electric power.

The group includes three physicists and a former student of the Vietnam National University in Hanoi.

In their filings, the inventors use a lens, which is similar to those found in LED lights but instead converts sunlight into near-parallel beams which are transmitted by an optical fibre connected to the lens.

The transmitted sunlight will then be used to power lights that are indoors. The device can be installed on any roof, helping to light up a room without the use of electric power.

The scientists, however, acknowledged that its widespread use will face several setbacks, for instance the lights can only operate during daylight hours and must comply with existing design and construction standards.

The first challenge can be addressed by incorporating the device’s scattering component with conventional electric lights while the second requires considerable time for further testing and integration.

The group said there is huge potential for their invention to be widely applied in Vietnam since a popular type of house here is one that is long and narrow and usually poorly lit by sunlight.

The invention has already been patented in Vietnam.