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Daylighting Design: How Much Light Do You Need?

January 3, 2022

Daylighting Design: How Much Light Do You Need?

Read the full original article here

The sun is a powerful force. Outdoor light levels in full sunlight are approximately 10,000 foot-candles (fc), while overcast days are around 1000 fc. To put that into perspective, general office areas generally demand less than 50 fc, retail up to around 70 fc, and precision tasks need around 150 fc.

Another way to look at it is in terms of controlling light entering a space. While 10,000 fc sounds great, it's far too much light and can cause eye strain, hot spots and glare. This is why translucent daylighting systems are such an effective design tool - they let in light, but diffuse it throughout interior spaces. Systems like Guardian 275® can also be infilled with varying densities of insulation to control light transmission levels and solar heat gain.

But how much light transmission is enough? Most system range between 20% and 50% light transmission, but you may see light transmission levels for some systems below 10%. While this certainly isn't the best choice for smaller openings, for more monumental sized systems like a large 30 feet high by 200 feet long wall system, this lower level of light transmission can actually be more than enough for the space. And if you're still not sure, it's best to rely on formal daylighting analysis and daylight studies to see just how much natural light you'll need for your space.

Interested in learning more? Check out this and other daylighting advice in the Daylighting Design Tips section of our website.

@majorindustries #majorindustries

Company: Major Industries Inc.

Of: Major Industries Inc.

Source: https://majorskylights.com/daylightingdesign/



Tags:

Daylighting

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Energy

Top 5 Reasons to Incorporate Translucent Daylighting in Your Athletic Facility Design (December 1, 2021), OptiQ® Thermal Window Series - incorporating health and well-being into the architectural solutions of tomorrow (October 4, 2021), Prefabricated, pre-insulated, secondary containment and conduit piping systems for industrial and commercial applications (June 18, 2021), Sustainable Design: Translucent Panel Daylighting (April 5, 2021), Conserving resources with shades (February 5, 2020), 4 Ways to Reduce Energy Costs in Commercial Buildings (March 8, 2019), Energy saving glazing options cut energy costs (October 31, 2018), Landscape lighting solutions: 7 signs your business should upgrade lighting systems (September 13, 2018), Thermal performance and energy savings with polycarbonate glazing systems (July 16, 2018), Slate, Portland’s new, LEED Gold, mixed-use, transit-oriented development features Linetec’s paint, anodize and thermal improvement services (November 1, 2017)

Glass

Glass Walls

The Most Attractive Temporary Office Wall Systems (December 10, 2021), 1620UT/1620UT SSG Curtain Wall System: Ultra Thermal Performance With A Slim Sightline (November 24, 2021), European Inspired Glass Wall Systems (October 13, 2021), Translucent Canopies: Outdoor Learning Environments (October 11, 2021), National Preparedness Month: Hurricane Protection (September 24, 2021), Aesthetically functional glass wall systems for commercial interior spaces (September 22, 2021), The Daylighting Difference: Restaurants (June 23, 2021), Daylighting Application Spotlight: Transportation Facilities (March 8, 2021), Glass door security options: developing an all-glass bulletproof door (February 15, 2021), The Daylighting Difference: Designing for Cold Climates (January 6, 2021)

Walls

Ventilating the top and bottom of a cavity wall (August 4, 2021), Deflection, Drainage and Drying: the 3 basics of water management in a wall system (March 3, 2021), Rib Rock Landscape Block Provides Time and Costs Savings with Tightened Construction Schedule (December 9, 2020), Armstrong Ceiling & Wall Solutions Introduces CleanAssure™ Portfolio of Disinfectable Products (November 16, 2020), Comply with safety standards for motorized operable partition walls (November 9, 2020), Importance of a Well-Drained Masonry Wall (November 1, 2018), 3 Reasons to consider solar heat gain in architecture (October 19, 2018), LuxCore FRP Fusion Wall Panels by Decorative Ceiling Tiles (May 1, 2018), High Performance Insulated Wall System a Game Changer for Architects (November 22, 2017), Visual Blog: Kalwall Retrofit (November 15, 2017)