Solar Daylighting
Solar daylighting systems, which use natural lighting to supplement electric lighting, have the potential to cut energy use, reduce peak demand, and create a more desirable indoor environment.
Daylighting is relatively cheap and more efficient than common electric incandescent or fluorescent light. Daylight can be utilized with traditional facades with wall windows, skylight windows, or with multifunctional photovoltaic (PV) solar facades which can produce daylight, heat, and electricity for the building. Impressive new technologies are becoming available for increased light distribution. While plentiful daylight is necessary for high-performance buildings, too much can be distracting and will put a strain on the building's HVAC system. The sun provides 7,000 to 10,000 foot-candles of light, while indoor office spaces need only about 50 foot-candles. Follow the articles below to see how these challenges are being addressed.
Solar Daylighting: Passive Lighting
Daylighting uses direct, diffused or reflected sunlight to provide supplemental lighting for building interiors. Daylighting can fully replace electric lights, or it can be used to cut down on electrical costs by supplementing...
Solar Daylighting for Improved Productivity, Comfort and Cost Effectiveness
Research proves what common sense suggests anyway: that natural light in the workplace increases productivity, reduces absenteeism and improves the speed and accuracy with which people perform everyday tasks...
Solar Daylighting Design Trends and Advancements
A good daylighting design is where the patterns of light and the patterns of work follow the nature of the light of the sky. A daylit building tells the story of the light as it moves across its surfaces in daily and seasonal cycles...
Light Shelves: How to Maximize Daylight Penetration
Light shelves bounce visible light up towards the ceiling, which reflect it down deeper into the interior of a room. External and internal light shelves mounted on the south- and west-facing windows can redistribute...
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