Issue 22

Nov.
2013

Daylighting
Introduction • Provide balanced luminous environment while meeting the
illuminance requirements
Daylighting is the controlled admission of daylight into a building to
• Provide automatic, continuously dimming, reliable daylighting
reduce artificial lighting and energy consumption. Daylighting is
controls for all daylit zones
compelling for aesthetic improvements, health benefits and energy
• Design interiors to maximize daylighting distribution
saving opportunities. Since natural lighting creates a visually stimulating
and productive environment, people have an innate attraction for • Integrate the artificial lighting with the daylighting system
daylighting. Impact of daylighting on productivity improvement and • Integrate with Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning system
health benefit are now well established by many scientific studies. A • Commission and verify post-occupancy energy savings
recent study shows a physiological basis for the claims for increased
student productivity and health. Lessons Learned
Case studies of eight representative daylighting project examples reveal
1
Benefits and Challenges the following common issues .
Daylighting enhances living/working environment and sets body’s • Commissioning of lighting control system was not completed
circadian rhythm/biological clock. Daylighting provides high illuminance prior to occupancy
and permits excellent color rendering, creating good visual • The problems revealed through the commissioning exercise
environment. However, daylighting can also create uncomfortable solar are not easily corrected
glare and very high luminance reflections on display screens, both of • Lack of coordination between architectural, interior and space
which negatively impacts visual quality. Thus, the effect of daylighting planning, mechanical and lighting/ electrical disciplines to
on the performance of a task depends on how the natural lighting is provide an effective daylighting system
delivered. Challenges to daylighting also include damaging ultraviolet • Lack of clear understanding on the part of the disciplines as to
ray and solar heat gain. All of these factors need to be considered in how the decisions they make can affect the performance of a
daylighting design for buildings. daylighting control system
• Location of daylighting controls and windows not properly
Daylighting Planning coordinated
Daylighting design starts with the selection of building site and • Detailed shop drawing review was not performed to ensure a
continues from construction phase to occupancy phase. Daylighting functional system
planning has different objectives at each stage of building design and • Daylighting system that does not save energy goes unnoticed
construction: (under dimming)
• Conceptual Design: As the building scheme is being created, • Daylighting system that saves energy more aggressively gets
daylighting design influences and/or is influenced by basic disabled
decisions about the siting of the building, orientation of the
facades / fenestration, seasonal effects / sun path, building’s Operations and Maintenance
shape, proportions, and apertures, as well as about the The success of a daylighting design depends completely on
integration and the role of building systems. commissioning and continuous evaluation of the lighting system. During
• Design Phase: As the building design evolves, daylighting regular building operation, maintenance needs to periodically check the
strategies must be developed for different parts of the
functionality of the daylight-responsive lighting controls to ensure that
building. The design of facades and interior finishing, and the
selection and integration of systems and services (including the system is saving energy as planned and has not been overridden.
artificial lighting), are all related to the building’s daylighting Maintenance also should ensure that areas designed to admit daylight
plan. are not shaded by growth of landscaping or other obstructions. As part
• Final/Construction Planning: The selection of materials and of any routine building cleaning regimen, any daylight redirection
products is affected by the building’s daylighting strategy; final devices should be cleaned on a regular basis to ensure the optimal
details of the daylighting scheme must be worked out when performance of the reflecting surfaces.
construction plans are created.
• Commissioning and Post-Occupancy: Once the building is References
constructed, lighting controls must be calibrated and ongoing
operation and maintenance of the system begins. 1. http://www.daylighting.org/WeidtGroup-
SS04_Panel7_Paper30.pdf
Key Aspects for Design 2. http://www.nrel.gov/sustainable_nrel/pdfs/49103.pdf
For successful implementation of daylighting, the following design 3. http://www.wbdg.org/resources/daylighting.php
aspects should be considered. 4. http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/daylighting/pdf/DaylightingPatte
• Provide daylighting into all occupied zones adjacent to an rnBook_Final.pdf
exterior wall or ceiling 5. http://energydesignresources.com/search.aspx?SearchGo.x=21&Se
• Select appropriate glazing archGo.y=9&s=daylighting
• Provide for integral glare mitigation techniques in the initial
design