Daylighting Design
Students explore the many different ways that engineers provide natural lighting to interior spaces. They analyze various methods of daylighting by constructing model houses from foam core board and simulating the sun with a desk lamp. Teams design a daylighting system for their model houses based on their observations and calculations of the optimal use of available sunlight to their structure.
Several daylighting features — a wall of windows and solar tubes — built into the Webster City Middle School in Iowa, keep its annual energy costs down.Copyright National Renewable Energy Lab http://www.nrel.gov/learning/
As engineers work to increase energy efficiency within buildings and homes, one important factor to consider is lighting — which represents a large portion (22%) of overall US energy consumption. Engineers often use physical models to analyze daylighting performance. By creating designs that incorporate daylighting techniques; natural light can be supplied to interior spaces during the part of the day it is needed most. This reduces the amount of artificial light required and creates a more pleasant atmosphere proven to increase occupants' overall well being and productivity.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe several daylighting techniques.
- Design a daylighting system for a model house.
- Explain how and why engineers use natural light in building and home designs.