Why Do Daylight Harvesting Projects Succeed or Fail? - Industry research reveals why daylight harvesting systems are only as strong as their weakest link

摘要

In recent years, the sustainable design movement has returned daylighting to the fore of mainstream construction. In its simplest definition, daylighting is the use of daylight as a primary source of illumination to support human activity in a space. Effective daylighting has been demonstrated to save energy and increase the quality of visual environments, reducing operating costs while improving user satisfaction. Playing a strong role in programs such as LEED, daylighting has also received expanded recognition in California's Title 24 energy code. "Design analysis often shows day-lighting control to be one of the most promising energy conservation strategies for commercial buildings. Consequently, daylighting controls are more frequently installed," says David Eijadi, FAIA, principal at The Weidt Group, a Minnetonka, Minn.-based firm that provides energy design assistance (including daylighting) as an energy conservation strategy to architects and engineers. "Because energy codes may eventually mandate the use of daylighting controls, it seems prudent to look for object lessons for success and failure from the set of early adopters." Why do some daylight harvesting projects succeed when others fail?