The key to successful daylighting is managing the light and heat gain and/or heat loss that the skylight adds to the building
The latest in technology with skylights allow the end user to control the amount of light and/or heat gain. This solves the daylighting dilemma allowing savings and control never seen before. Previously, the light control was found in shade-like products designed separately from the skylight. Currently there is a skylight design which solves all the light control problems. This product is unique, well designed and affordable. The product is reliable, user friendly and is maintenance free with real time computerized tracking. (Contact us for more detailed information)
Nonresidential skylights generally have a great capacity for energy savings, due to the high daytime occupancies of the buildings on which they are installed, and the consequent displacement of daytime electric lighting costs.
The keys to energy savings from daylighting are providing ways to make sure the electric lights are either turned off or dimmed during the daylight hours and assuring that the windows do not over-illuminate nor produce excessive solar heat gain or winter nighttime heat energy loss. Only then can the building capture the energy saving benefits of daylighting.
Nonresidential buildings often have internal heat sources (from people, electric lights, equipment, and other sources) that more than offset the need for additional wintertime heating. Such buildings need cooling much if not all of the year, except perhaps in the coldest climate zones. In such cases the solar heat gain is little or no advantage, or can be a serious liability. This liability is avoided by glazing treatments to reduce solar heat gain. (And controllable components)
See Also
- Florida Solar Energy Center
Lighting and Energy Information