Daylighting in

Schools
and related
case-studies

DSC 558
Daylighting

Submitted by:
Supriya Goel,
Kavish Munshi
DSC 558 Daylighting Assignment # 01

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3

DAYLIGHTING AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE……………………………………………………………….4

DAYLIGHTING AND BUILDING ENERGY PERFORMANCE………………………..………….………….5

DAYLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS………………………………………………………………….…………..………….6

DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVED DAYLIGHTING………………………………………...………..6

WHOLE BUILDING ENERGY SIMULATION AND DAYLIGHTING………………………..……………..7

CASE STUDY: NORTHERN GUILFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL- NORTH CAROLINA……..………8

REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………9

2|P a g e
DSC 558 Daylighting Assignment # 01

INTRODUCTION

The controlled admission of natural light into a space through windows to reduce or eliminate
electric lighting Daylighting helps create a visually stimulating and productive environment for
building occupants, while reducing as much as one-third of total building energy costs.

The purpose of this study is to observe the change in the performance of building and humans by
introducing daylighting. A remarkable change is seen in building system and human environment.
General observation shows the increase the human efficiency; in terms of quality and quantity of
work. Building system all shows drastic difference in building energy, this can be observed by the
difference between the peak loads of system of building having daylighting.

Introduction of daylighting in a building shows improvement in student’s performance in terms of

grade and even in health. We chose to study elementary schools since children at that age spend
most of their school time in one physical environment—their assigned classroom. Whereas students
in middle schools and high schools tend to move from classroom to classroom throughout the day,
in elementary schools children are usually assigned to one teacher in whose classroom they spend
the majority of the school year. We reasoned that if the physical environment affects learning, it
should be easier to identify any effects at the elementary level where we could characterize a given
student’s environment with some certainty.

DESCRIPTION

Appropriate design strategies need to be used for effective daylight design-

• Provided wide, diffuse distribution of light- Use of diffuse lenses or diffusing louvers.
• Prevented direct penetration of sunlight into classroom
• Allowed manual control of amount of illumination through the use of louvers and blinds.

3|P a g e
DSC 558 Daylighting Assignment # 01

DAYLIGHTING AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE

The study shows the clear relationship between human performances in buildings and the presence
of daylight. This daylight could come from windows or skylights. This daylight could come from
windows and skylights.

Recent studies show that daylighting in schools may significantly increase students’ test scores and
promote better health and physical development and can be attained without an increase in school
construction or maintenance costs.

Three different school districts were studied and all daylighting strategies were analyzed. Strategies
which this study defined to be most effective have been discussed in detail later. Daylight provided
from skylights is more uniform as compared to windows. Windows- include aspects of visual
disturbance and depending on the kind of view available, is might be visually appealing or
distracting.

These are profound results, which have been carried out under rigorous statistical controls. In one
school district, students with the most daylighting in their classrooms progressed 20% faster on
math tests and 26% faster on reading tests when compared to students in the least daylit
classrooms. In the other two school districts, .students in classrooms with the most daylighting were
found to have 7%.18% higher scores than those in the least. Another study compared test scores for
students in three daylit schools in North Carolina to scores in the county school system as whole and
other new schools within the county. Test scores for over 1,200 students in daylit schools were
compared to scores for the students in the county. The study showed that students who attended
daylit schools outperformed the students in non-daylit schools by 5%.14%.

Two studies suggest that daylighting in classrooms can promote overall health and physical
development. In a study of 90 Swedish elementary school students, researchers tracked behavior,
health, and cortisol (a stress hormone) levels over the course of a year in four classrooms with
varying daylighting levels. .The results indicate work in classrooms without daylight may upset the
basic hormone pattern, and this in turn may influence the children’s ability to concentrate or
cooperate, and also eventually have an impact on annual body growth and absenteeism.

Daylighting allowed for the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to be
downsized, which in turn reduced the noise levels in both the classrooms and library, thus enhancing
the learning environment. Thus fresh and natural ventilated environment is proved to be more
favorable for study and academically.

4|P a g e
DSC 558 Daylighting Assignment # 01

DAYLIGHTING AND BUILDING ENERGY PERFORMANCE

Daylighting plays the important role in energy performance of the building. Along with the human
performance, energy performance of the building is positive. It helps in increase the natural
ventilation and helps the occupants to breathe fresh air. One of case studies of school shows that
the reduced cooling load required a 370-ton chiller instead of a 400-ton chiller needed for a similar
school, saving initial and energy operation costs.

Students in school needs higher flux of light, daylighting acts as a natural source of light, which in
turn, discourages artificial lights. High-efficiency lighting equipment and controls are used, including
motion sensors and light-level sensors to automatically adjust energy-efficient fluorescent lighting as
needed. An energy management system controls the amount of outside air circulation to correspond
with the occupancy level of the school, rather than constant operation, which is typical of school
buildings.

Thus the overall performance of the energy is reduced to 50% by including daylighting features in
school building. Daylighting in school is all important as it’s a building used twelve months a year
which saving a lot of energy annually. These strategies help in reducing the life cycle cost of the
building by downsizing mechanical system as well as installing photo sensors and reducing the
lighting.

5|P a g e
DSC 558 Daylighting Assignment # 01

Daylight Characteristics

In electric lighting design for a typical space, the lighting is directed downwards, illuminating the
horizontal surface better than the vertical surface. Whereas, natural daylight is a more diffuse
source, evenly distributed in all directions, thus luminance in the space is more comfortable.
Daylight has a continuous spectrum whereas electric light has a stronger spectrum in some
wavelengths. Alternating current source of artificial lights results in an occasional flicker, which is
absent in the case of daylight.

6|P a g e
DSC 558 Daylighting Assignment # 01

DAYLIGHTING- DESIGN STRATEGIES

• Orientation of the building is lengthwise on

an east/west axis to optimize placement of
the north and south facing daylighting
monitors and to reduce heat gain.

• South-facing and north-facing roof monitors

provide daylighting to classrooms, cafeteria,
gymnasiums, and hallways with a
corresponding 30% overall increase in glazing
for daylighting and an absence of glazing on
the east and west sides.

• The roof is equipped with a radiant barrier

that reflects more than 90% of the radiant
heat. There is low-e glazing throughout,
including the roof monitors.

• The reduced cooling load required a 370-ton

chiller instead of a 400-ton chiller needed for
a similar school, saving initial and energy
operation costs.

• High-efficiency lighting equipment and

controls are used, including motion sensors
and light-level sensors to automatically
adjust energy-efficient fluorescent lighting as
needed.

• An energy management system controls the

amount of outside air circulation to
correspond with the occupancy level of the
school, rather than constant operation, which
is typical of school buildings.

• Designing the skylight is an important

strategy in daylighting. It results in the
optimal use energy.

7|P a g e
DSC 558 Daylighting Assignment # 01

SKYLIGHT A
Appropriate design strategies need to be used for
effective daylight design-[4]

- Provided wide, diffuse distribution of light-

Use of diffuse lenses or diffusing louvers.

- Prevented direct penetration of sunlight into

classroom.

- Allowed manual control of amount of

illumination through the use of louvers and
blinds.

- Skylight A performed well and met all

required criteria for appropriate daylighting. SKYLIGHT A

SKYLIGHT B
HMG Study of 3 School Districst Reveals:[4]

Certain skylight designs that did not perform well

(Skylight B), had a negative impact on student
performance had the following characteristics-

- Allowed direct sunlight into the classroom.

- Relied on automatic controls which were not

performing as designed.

- They created small areas of high daylight

illumination

SKYLIGHT B

APPROPRIATE GLASS TYPE:

APPLICATION EXPOSURE TYPE

View Glass (Non Daylight Apertures) S, N Clear, Double Low E

E/W Unshaded Tinted, Double Low E
E/W Shaded Clear, Double Low E

Windows Above Lightshelves S Clear Double Glass

Roof Monitor S Clear Double Glass

Blinds-Between-Glazing S Clear Double Glass

8|P a g e
DSC 558 Daylighting Assignment # 01

DESIGNING OF ROOF MONITORS:[3]

Architects integrated south-facing roof monitors

into the school’s design to provide the majority of
daylighting within the building. The monitors allow
the electric lighting to remain at a low level most of
the day, reducing internal heat gains and the need
for additional cooling. Cloth baffles within the
monitors help distribute the light uniformly and
eliminate glare. Fluorescent lighting installed in the
classrooms operates on dimming ballasts with
photo sensors and motion sensors to limit
unnecessary electric lighting.

PRE-

9|P a g e
DSC 558 Daylighting Assignment # 01

SUMMARY : DESIGN STRATEGIES

• MINIMIZE SIZE by MAXIMIZING TRANSMISSION

• PASSIVE SOLAR BENEFITS : Overhangs should be optimally sized.
• Use RIGHT COLORED ROOFING IN FRONT OF MONITORS
• Use BAFFLES to block direct beam radiation, diffuse light and reduce glare
• Use translucent baffles to help reduce contrast.
• Maximize Contrast at wall-to-ceiling intersection
o Curved edge or a 45° cut for a better transition from a vertical to horizontal surface.

• Minimize depth of ceiling cavity

• Deeper the well more difficult it is
for light to reflect into space
• For a square skywell with 70%
reflectance- the loss is effectiveness
is over 50%

10 | P a g e
DSC 558 Daylighting Assignment # 01

INTEGRATED APPROACH TO DAYLIGHTING [2]

A well-integrated design approach to daylighting:

1. South facing roof monitors for lighting the

central classroom.
2. South facing lightshelves for the remaining
spaces.
3. Use of
a. Lighting Controller
b. Photosensors
c. Motion sensors
4. Use of double low-e glass for view windows
5. Use of clear glass for daylighting windows
(with lightshelves)

11 | P a g e
DSC 558 Daylighting Assignment # 01

CASE STUDIES

NORTHERN GUILFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL, GREENSBORO, NORTH CROLINA [5]

Parametric studies to explore ENERGY
PERFORMANCE with DAYLIGHTING STRATEGIES

A study of Northern Guilford Middle school to

analyze an integration of daylighting strategies
with whole building enrgy performance to
minimize construction costs and annual energy
costs.

BASE CASE
- 980 sq.ft classroom with a 8 ft corridor
- Zero Additional Cost.
- No Daylighting Strategies
- Flat Roof
- VAV Mechanical System

Design Type Additional Cost

Base Case Design $0.00

ALTERNATIVE 1
- No Daylighting Strategies
- Pitched Roof
- VAV Mechanical System

DAYLIGHTING STRATEGIES UTILIZED

• MAXIMIZE TVIS
Clear double glass the TVIS - 10% to 25%
better than low-E glass.
• SOUTH-FACING GLASS.
South glazing requires 25% less glass area to
achieve same PASSIVE HEATING as north-
facing glazing.
• CLERESTORIES
White, single-ply roofing in front of clerestory
glass.
This results in needing 10% less glass area for
same daylighting results. Design Type Additional Cost
• ROOF MONITORS
50% of light lost due to internal Alternative 1 $0.04
reflections in ceiling cavities of roof monitors.
• LIGHTSHELVES, SHADING DEVICES
Extended beyond opening to account
for early morning and afternoon
azimuth conditions.

12 | P a g e
DSC 558 Daylighting Assignment # 01

ALTERNATIVE 2

- SOUTH FACING ROOF MONITORS

with translucent fabric baffles in the light
wells.
- CLEAR, DOUBLE GLAZING - to
maximize VT and minimize WWR
- OVERHANGS over the monitor
windows protect the spaces from
DIRECT LIGHT .
- VAV Mechanical System Design Type Additional Cost

Used in : Gymnasiums, Dining Areas Alternative 2 $3.29

Designed with minimal required ceiling
cavity depth for these spaces.

ALTERNATIVE 3
- Daylighting Strategies – Curved
translucent interior lightshelf, in
combination with highly reflective
ceiling tiles.
- 20% Tvis level translucent panel of
the lightshelf and the design of the
aperture, glare is minimized
- Indirect Lighting Design Type Additional Cost
- Underfloor Air Distribution
Alternative 3 $2.29
LIGHSHELVES : BETTER SOLUTION
50% of daylight lost internally within
ceiling cavity of roof monitors.

13 | P a g e
DSC 558 Daylighting Assignment # 01

REFERENCES

1. http://www.wbdg.org/resources/daylighting.php , Accessed February 2011

2. http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/daylighting/pdf/SmithCaseStudyFinal.pdf
3. http://www.innovativedesign.net/pdf/daylightguide_8511.
4. Heschong Mahone Group, “Daylighting in Schools,” Pacific Gas and Electric Company on
behalf of the California Board for Energy Efficiency Third Party Program, August 1999.
5. Nicklas,M. and G. Bailey, “ Energy performance of Daylit Schools in North Carolina,”, 1996
6. Nicklas. Michael, Altre.Umesh, Innovative Design Inc, “Comparison of Daylighting Strategies
for Schools”
7. http://www.pge.com/pec/daylight/boer.html, accessed Feb 2011

Images:
http://continuingeducation.construction.com/article.php?L=48&C=252
http://archrecord.construction.com/schools/071213-SCH_FOS.asp

14 | P a g e