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FHPSBDaylighting|WholeBuildingDesignGuide

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Daylighting
GENERALPRINCIPLESANDCOMMITMENTS
Achieveaminimumofdaylightfactorof2percent(excludingalldirectsunlightpenetration)in75percentofallspaceoccupiedforcriticalvisualtasks.Provide
automaticdimmingcontrolsoraccessiblemanuallightingcontrols,andappropriateglarecontrol.

TECHNICALGUIDANCE
Introduction
Requirement:"Achieveaminimumofdaylightfactorof2percent"
Lightlevelsinabuildingspacearetypicallymeasuredinfootcandlesorlux.Lightfromelectriclightsisfairlyconstantsoexactlevelsoflightingcanbeobtained
throughtheselectionandlayoutoflightfixtures.Whenitcomestodaylightingthelightsourceistheskyvaultwhichisoutsidethebuildingsoitbecomes
necessarytoinstallglazedopenings(windowsandskylights)toadmitadequatedaylighttomeetspaceneeds.Designingforexactlevelsoflightfromdaylightis
difficultsincethelightsourceisconstantlychangingdependingontimeofdayandweatherconditions.Insteadofcalculatingexactlevelsoflight(footcandlesor
lux)inagivenspacefromdaylightadaylightfactorwascreatedtomeasurerelativelightlevels.Thedaylightfactorisbestdefinedas:
DF=Iin/Ioutx100%
Where:
DF=daylightfactor
Iin=illumianceduetodaylightontheindoorworkingplane
Iout=illumianceoutdoorsonaunobstructedhorizontalplane
Therearethreepossiblewaysthatdaylightcanreachtheindoorworkingplane.Theyare:
1.Visablelightdirectlyfromtheskyvault(define)
2.Lightreflectedfromexteriorsurfaces.
3.Lightenteringthespaceandreflectingfrominteriorsurfaces.
Allthreeofthesecomponentsneedtobeaccountedfortodeterminethedaylightfactor.
Adaylightfactorof2isatypicallevelonewouldwanttoachieveforanofficespace.Itassumesthat2%ofthetotallightthatisoutsidethebuildingendsupon
theworkingplaneordesktop.Assuminganaverageoutdoorillumianceof2500footcandlesandadaylightfactorof2%theindoorillumianceonyourdesktop
wouldbe50footcandles(2%x2500footcandles=50footcandles).Othertypicaldaylightfactorsforvariousspacesare:
DiscussionGroups14
ResidentialLivingRoom1
ResidentialKitchen2
Officedetailwork4
Officedrafting6
Officecorridors0.5
Schoolsclassrooms2
Schoolsartrooms4
Hospitalswards1
Hospitalswaitingrooms2
Sportsfacilities2
Warehousebulkstorage0.5
Warehousemediumsizestorage1
Warehousesmallitemstorage2
Calculatingadaylightfactorbasedonyourbuildingdesignincludeswindow/skylightsizes,overhangs/lightshelves,glasstypes,andexterior/interiorreflectances
canbecomeverycomplex.Asimpleruleofthumbtoapproximatethedaylightfactorfordaylitspacesusingverticalwindowsis:
DF=0.1xPG
Where:
DF=daylightfactor
PG=Percentageofglasstofloorarea
Assuminga1000sfofficespacehas200sfofwindows.Thedaylightfactorwouldbe:
DF=0.1x(200/1000)
DF=.02or2%
Formoredetailedcalculationmethodswhichtakeintoaccountthethreemajorcomponents(lightfromskyvault,lightreflectedfromexteriorsurfacesandlight
reflectedfrominteriorsurfaces)thatmakeupthedaylightfactorrefertothereferencesinthisguidance.
Requirement:"(excludingalldirectsunlightpenetration)"
Traditionaldaylightingexcludesdirectbeamsunlightwhichtypicallyintroducesunwantedheat,glareandextremecontrastresultinginincreasedenergyuseand
uncomfortableconditions.Thesunisconstantlychangingpositions(altitudeandazimuth)duringthedayandthroughouttheseasons.TheMOUguidance
recognizesthatexcluding"all"directsunlightpenetrationmaynotbepossibleordesirable.Ifthebuildingdesignincorporatesbothpassivesolarheatingand
daylightingexcludingthedirectbeamwouldnotbedesirablesincethisisthemainsourceofheat.Theintentionof"all"wouldbeinanoffice/classroom/business
typeenvironmentwherepassivesolarheating(directbeamsunlight)wouldnotbepartofthedesignandwouldleadtopoordaylighting.Directsunlightshouldnot
beusedwhencalculatingthedaylightfactor.

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Excludingdirectbeamsunlightstartswithgoodbuildingorientation,placingthelongaxisofthebuildingfacingduenorthandsouth.Windowsfacingnorthwill
receivethegreatestamountofdaylightandcandispensewithoverhangsandfinsformostlatitudes(recognizingthatsomedirectbeampenetrationwillbe
possibleduringsummersunriseandsunsetseeFigure1).

Thesecondbestdaylightingisfromsouthfacingwindowswhichcanbeprotectedfromdirectbeamsunlightusingfixedoverhangs.Theleastdesirabledaylighting
isfromeastandwestfacingwindowsbecauseofthedifficultyofeliminatingdirectbeamsunlightduringmornings(Eastside)andafternoons(Westside).The
onlywaytocompletelyomitdirectbeamsunlightduringthistimeismovableshadingdevicessuchasblindsandrollershadeswhichwillalsoblockthe
daylighting.Figure2providessolaranglesforvariouslatitudeswhichcanbeusedtosizefixedsouthfacingoverhangs.

Keepinmindthatthesesolaranglesallowforbothdaylightingandpassivesolarheatingsoitwillbenecessarytodividethewindowwallintotwoareas,anupper
glassareaforcontinuousdaylightingprotectedbyaoverhangthatpreventsbothsummerandwinterdirectbeampenetration,andalowerareawhichprovidesboth
daylightingandviewwithlightcoloredblindsorrollershadestocontrolwinterdirectbeampenetration.Amoreoptimumdesignwouldmakeuseoflightshelvesto
bouncelightfurtherbackintothespace(seeFigure3).

Requirement:"in75percentofallspaceoccupiedforcriticalvisualtasks."
Criticalvisualtaskscanbestbedefinedasoffice/classroomtypeworkwhichinvolvesreadingprintedtext,enteringdataintocomputers,writinganddrawing.
Thebestwaytodaylight75%ofcriticalvisualtaskareaistoprovideaccessibilitytoexteriorwindows.Thisisbestaccomplishedbyelongatingthebuildingwith
mostofthespacefacingnorthandsouth(seeFigure4).Ifelongatingthebuildingand/orgoingtomultiplefloorstoprovidemaximumwindowareaforthemajority
ofthespaceisnotpossiblethenclerestorywindows,atriumsand/orskylightsshouldbeconsidered.Notethatprovidingdaylightfromabovethroughtheuseof
clerestoriesandatriumswillbemorecostlythansimpleverticalwindows.Careshouldalsobegiventocarefullydesigningskylightstopreventunwantedsolar
heatgain.

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Requirement:"Provideautomaticdimmingcontrolsoraccessiblemanuallightingcontrols,"
Forcontinuousoccupiedspace(offices/classrooms)automaticcontrolsthatconstantlyadjusttheelectriclightinginresponsetotheavailabledaylightshouldbe
used.ThebesttypemakesuseofdimmableballastscontrolledbyphotosensorsoperatingT5orT8fluorescentlamps.Paststudieshaveshownthaton/off
controlstendtoannoythoseworkinginthespaceandoccupantsmaynotbothertousemanuallightingcontrolstoturnofflightswhenenoughdaylightis
available.Ifmanualcontrolsdohavetobeusedtheyshouldbeclearlymarked,inanaccessiblelocationandtheoccupantstrainedtousethem.Fortransition
spacessuchascorridors,restrooms,conferencerooms,warehousesoranyotherspaceswherepeopleareconstantlymovinginandoutsimpleon/offcontrols
connectedtophotosensorswouldbethebestsolution.
Requirement:"andappropriateglarecontrol."
Thebestwaytocontrolglareistocontrolthearrangementofpeopleinthedaylitspace.Themajorformsofglarearedirectandindirect.Occupantsinadaylit
spaceshouldalwaysbeplacedsotheyaresittingperpendiculartothewindowwall(SeeFigure5).Facingdirectlytowardthewindowwallwillresultindirectglare
andfacingdirectlyawayfromthewindowwallwillresultinreflectedglareoffofcomputerscreens.Placementofpartitionsinopenofficespacesisalsovery
importantinallowingmaximumpenetrationofdaylightwithminimumglare(seeFigure6).

Foradditionalinformationondaylightdesignrefertothereferencesinthisguidance.

MAJORRESOURCES
WBDG
DesignObjectives
SustainableEnhanceIndoorEnvironmentalQuality(/design/ieq.php)

ModelContractandSpecificationLanguage
085000(08500)Windows(/ccb/browse_doc.php?d=8052)
265000(16500)Lighting(/ccb/browse_doc.php?d=8075)

Publications
DaylightinBuildings:ASourceBookonDaylightingSystemsandComponents(https://facades.lbl.gov/daylightbuildingssourcebookdaylightingsystems)

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Training
BasicsofDaylightinginaGreenEnvironment(http://www.southfaceonlinetraining.org/daylighting/about.php)Offersanoverviewofdaylightingprinciplesas
wellasdaylightingdesignstrategiesandtechnologies.Thecoursealsodiscussescommondaylightingmistakesandprovideslinkstoadditionalresources
includingfreedaylightingsoftware.

Others

DaylightingControls(http://windows.lbl.gov/comm_perf/daylight/esl321.html)
GSASustainableFacilitiesTool(SFTool)(http://sftool.gov/Explore)SFTool'simmersivevirtualenvironmentaddressesallyoursustainabilityplanning,
designingandprocurementneeds.
LEEDforNewConstruction(http://www.usgbc.org/leed#rating)
Lightshelves/Lightpipes(http://windows.lbl.gov/comm_perf/daylight/esl313.html)
ToolsforDaylightingPredictions(http://windows.lbl.gov/daylighting/Tools_for_Daylighting/default.htm)

NationalInstituteofBuildingSciences(http://www.nibs.org/)|AnAuthoritativeSourceofInnovativeSolutionsfortheBuiltEnvironment
1090VermontAvenue,NW,Suite700|Washington,DC200054950|(202)2897800|Fax(202)2891092
2016NationalInstituteofBuildingSciences.Allrightsreserved.Disclaimer(/about.php)

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