Daylighting

Daylighting reduces the need for electric lighting by introducing daylight into a building. Effective daylighting is achieved through the strategic placement of skylights and windows, as well as lighting controls that monitor available daylight and respond as needed to decrease or increase electric lighting.

The Capturing the Daylight Dividend Program at the LRC provides information, case studies, tools and other resources to building professionals about the use of daylight in buildings.

Publications

Reviews of Technical Reports on Daylight and Productivity - Reviews three individual reports prepared by the Heschong-Mahone Group in 2003 under the Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program. The review takes a critical look at the claims and conclusions presented in the reports.

Case Study: Harmony Library - Library in Colorado uses daylighting to illuminate its book stacks and provide a comfortable, inviting atmosphere for its patrons.

Case Study: Smith Middle School - School in North Carolina shows that good daylighting design incorporated at a building's inception yields positive results in energy savings, comfort and a reasonable return on the added investment.

Case Study: TomoTherapy, Inc. - Medical equipment company in Wisconsin is an example of a tenant willing to pay higher building lease costs for office and manufacturing space designed with daylighting.

The Benefits of Daylight Through Windows - The most wide-ranging research review conducted into the effects of daylight.

The Potential of Simplified Concepts for Daylight Harvesting - Predictions of energy savings for two proposed daylighting technologies, a daylight-sensing switch and an automatic blinds system, which employ simple, inexpensive components and designs.

Field Test DELTA: Integrated Skylight Luminaire - Documents the field performance of a prototype skylight for warehouses that incorporates fluorescent lighting and an automatic control system.

Photosensor Tutorial - A guide to photosensor technology, system components, and commissioning.

View more Daylighting reports and publications.

Related Programs

• Capturing the Daylight Dividend - Using daylighting
• NLPIP - Product testing

Education Programs

New! Daylight Institute - An intensive one or two day seminar for architects, engineers, and other building professionals interested in learning more about daylighting design and daylight harvesting control systems.