Daylight simulations may add an upfront cost but they offer fast payback in the form of effective daylighting strategy selection resulting in reduced energy costs.
Simulation is the only way to account during the design phase for daylight designs that have many variables such as the use of lightshelves and light-colored interior finishes. The
Coupling daylight modeling with energy modeling can help project teams make effective decisions about daylighting as it relates to other strategies like thermal massing, window area, window efficiency, and shading.
This compliance path does not require modeling and can still help inform decisions during the design phase. However, the documentation and calculations can be complicated and time-consuming.
More natural light is transmitted through glazing with higher VLT values, but a higher VLT value tends to correlate with a higher solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC). Assess the optimal balance of these values, along with
