Directions on daylight in buildings

Experience shows that there is a lack of knowledge among deign practitioners on the possibilities of utilising daylight as a means to improve lighting quality and reduce the need for electric lighting. The daylighting field is relatively new for the Danish building designers, among other reasons because it is not covered in the education of architects and engineers. This is seen as an obstacle for adaption of the latest research in the daylighting field. This SBI-direction describes some common daylighting design and analysis tools available in Denmark. Tools from simple, manual methods to complex computer models are covered. The basic principles in each of the methods are described in order to give building designers an impression of the way the different components of daylight in a space are treaded, i.e. the direct, the diffuse as well as the externally and internally reflected components of the solar radiation. The SBI-direction are intended to give engineers and architects an overview of the possibilities and limitation of the methods described, together with a detailed guide on how to use them in a specific design context, i.e. sidelit rooms, toplit rooms, atria, sunlight penetration within the room. The objective of this project is to establish some basic guidelines on the appropriate integration of daylight in the building design. Published as SBI directions, the guidelines will provide the practitioners with the necessary knowledge for promotion of more daylight conscious building design, reducing the need for artificial lighting and improving the lighting quality