Lighting in space habitats Forum: Spacesettlers
Thread: Lighting in space habitats
{hugs mike combs}
You've come a long way, Mike!
Now, I used to go for fiber optics, but now like LEDs, and when I made the switch I went whole hog: turn the roof into a giant TV screen. Yes, it's more expensive than paint (though probably not any more than the mirrors-to-chevrons, mirrored chevrons, window framework [all those sealed edges!], window panes system). But probably not as much more expensive as we might think. We're quickly getting to the point where identical panels, LEDs and all, can basically be printed at little more than the cost of materials and the electricity to run the machinery. The complexity is (almost) immaterial.
It will come down to the trade-off between a wonderful sky display and how much can you save using white paint and (let's not forget) spotlights to shine on the white paint.