Daylighting

Daylighting is the use of openings and reflective surfaces to take advantage of both sun and skylight to provide natural illumination to a building interior. And it is gaining favor as companies search for ways to save money on energy costs, reduce their carbon footprint and keep workers happy, healthy and productive — all at the same time!

When integrated with artificial lighting controls, daylighting can significantly reduce lighting costs while providing high-quality illumination. Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, the nation’s premiere R&D facility for energy-efficient technologies, reports that lighting costs account for 35% to 40% of the total electrical energy consumption in commercial buildings and recommends daylighting as the most cost-effective strategy to reduce these costs. The National Institute of Building Sciences estimates that daylighting can reduce total building energy costs by as much as one-third.