Day Lighting

And its techniques

Building Science
• All systems have to be in good working order to be efficient
• Air flow in and out of building must be regulated
• Entire building envelope must be properly insulated
• Interruptions in building envelope (doors, windows, light
fixtures, chimneys, etc.) must be properly sealed
• HVAC must be cleaned and maintained
• Proper and efficient lighting should be used
Day lighting
• The manner in which daylight enters and distributes itself in a room
depends on the size and location of openings, type of glazing,
configuration of the room, and reflective properties of walls, ceiling
and other surfaces.
• The intensity of daylight and the daylight factor also depend on the
height and the location of the opening on a wall; the intensity
reduces as the distance from the opening increases.
Day lighting
• The pattern of artificial lighting in a building differs from climate to
climate.
• For example, in hot and dry climates, internal shading devices are
often used to protect the building from overheating by high solar
radiation. This will drastically reduce the daylight entering the room,
thereby increasing artificial lighting load.
• However, in cold and sunny climates shading devices are not required,
so there is less need for artificial lighting. Correct daylighting design
will reduce not only the energy cost but also the cooling cost, caused
by lighting devices.
Basic Principles of Daylighting
• The ultimate source of daylight is the sun. By the time sunlight
reaches the earth’s surface, it has been subjected to atmospheric
reduction, scattering and reflection.
• The daylight received on the earth’s surface is composed of direct
light (from the sun) and diffuse light (light received from all parts of
the sky due to atmospheric scattering and reflection). Light reaching a
particular point inside a building may consist of,
• (1) direct sunlight, (2) diffuse light or skylight, (3) externally
reflected light (by the ground or other buildings), and (4) internally
reflected light from walls, ceiling and other internal surfaces light
directly received.
Day light factor: a daylight factor (DF) is the ratio of the light
level inside a structure to the light level outside the structure. It
is defined as: DF = (Ei / Eo) x 100%
Daylight architecture
• Daylight architecture is adapting to the lighting
requirements with natural light.
• Different basic types of daylighting
architecture developed in conjunction with
lighting conditions in the various climatic
zones of the globe.
common foot plans shape in buildings
 Lighting in buildings - Introduction

Since the beginning of habitable construction, daylighting has been a

big factor in the designs of buildings.

Daylighting is the practice of placing windows (and reflective surfaces)

so that during the day natural light provides effective internal lighting.
Day Lighting reduces energy costs
in the building while at the same
time enhancing visual comfort.

The presence of direct sunshine in

the interior environment is also of
great physiological benefit.
 factors involves Techniques of daylighting
Building Orientation and Geometry

The orientation of the building plays a big role in the amount of

daylight received in the building. A building oriented in the E-W axis
will receive more daylight.

The orientation of the building with regards to the site is also

important. The fenestrations should be designed to face away from
obstructions which will otherwise block daylight
The geometry of the buildings in terms of the walls,
ceilings, floors and windows and how they relate with
each other influences daylighting as well
 Size and Location of Windows

The larger the windows, the more

daylight will be received in the
illuminated room.

Windows located on front side

receiving more daylight will in turn
have the rooms they are in with
more light
 Type of Window

There are various types of windows

that can be used on a building.
Some of the most common are
vertical windows, skylights and
clerestories.

All these types of windows bring in

daylight, but of different quality in
the spaces they illuminate.
 Ground and wall treatment

Smooth and light coloured walls will reflect daylight in the interior of
the building, providing light of great quality.

Up to 40% of daylight can also be reflected into the interior spaces

through reflection from the ground, the percentage depending on the
ground surface finish.
 Light shelves and light tubes

Light shelves are horizontal devices

on windows used to reflect daylight
farther into a room. They can be
completely outside or halfway in.

Light tubes are tubes from the roof

used to provide light to a focused
area of the interior
Common Residential Lighting Types
• Incandescent
• Fluorescent
• Light-emitting Diode

Lumens is the light given off by a bulb

Watts is the amount of energy it takes to operate the bulb
To compare bulbs, compare lumens, not watts!
Incandescent Lighting
• Produce light by getting hot
• Friction of electrons in filament Incandesces
• Exceptionally inefficient – 10% electrical energy is
transformed to light (90% not used for light)
• Generally unchanged since Edison
• “Energy Efficient” incandescent bulbs have bubble
of inert gas around filament
• “Energy Efficient” bulbs use 25% less energy for
same lumens as traditional incandescent.
Fluorescent Lighting
• Two-step lighting process
• Mercury vapor absorbs electrical energy and its electrons get
energized
• Energized Hg electrons release energy as UV light
• Phosphor coating on inside absorbs UV light
• Energized phosphor electrons release energy as visible light

Image credit: http://www.safespectrum.com/light_fluorescent.php

Light-emitting Diodes (LEDs)
• Solid, very efficient
• Works like a PV cell in reverse
• Current will only flow in one
direction
• Current energizes electrons and
they move from N-type across
depletion zone to P-type
• Electrons then return to lower
energy state and release energy as Image credit:
light http://www.imagesco.com/articles/photovoltaic/photovoltaic-pg4.html
 Building Envelope

All the systems of a

building combine to
Lighting determine its
energy efficiency.

Electrical Appliances and HVAC Systems • A Building is a System

Devices