Intelligent Energy Management with Daylight Systems

Control technology allows the flap systems in the glass roof to be individually controlled for effective ventilation.

Intelligent Energy Management with Daylight Systems

In planning, as well as in the construction phase, the energetic qualities of buildings are in the foreground of modern construction. As one component of an active building envelope, daylight systems play an increasingly important role.

The incidence of daylight in building interiors makes it possible to significantly minimize energy costs for artificial lighting on the basis of the most natural light source: the sun. The following four aspects are crucial in the design of daylight systems: saving energy, conserving energy, controlling energy and generating energy.

According to daylight system specialist, Lamilux, there is enough daylight between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm on 85 percent of the days in the year to direct plenty into the interior of a building to create good illumination. Daylight systems that direct light into the room from above are especially effective, the company explains. Rooflight domes, continuous rooflights or glass roof constructions, for example, can illuminate interiors harmoniously, evenly and very brightly with daylight.

As the company reports, numerous example calculations have shown that the energy costs for electric lighting can be significantly reduced through the use of natural light. As an example, Lamilux cites an 800-square metre, 8-foot high hall that according to DIN 5034 has more than 101 square metres of rooflights. This is equivalent to 12.6 percent of the total roof surface. Without daylight systems, the average annual energy costs would amount to € 6,000. With daylight systems these costs could be reduced to € 1,800. (Source: FVLR; Professional Association for Daylight and Smoke Ventilation.)

Conserving Energy

The larger the surface area of the daylight systems integrated into the roof, the more substantial is the aspect of good thermal insulation. Developmental and material-related factors are decisive for the energetic quality as it applies to the deployed glazing types, as well as the supporting structure. According to company statements, Lamilux has succeeded in optimising the isothermal processes of their daylight systems to such an extent that thermal bridges are nearly eliminated.

The company uses a component called "Thermo Active Design TAD" that uses the thermal energy in the room air underneath window bases with the help of a patented structural ribbing. This raises the surface temperature of the aluminium frame, resulting in a flawless isothermal process and, with that, excellent insulation.

The "Iso Thermal Load Converter – ITL" also optimises isothermal processes by transmitting the bearing load of the daylight system onto the supporting structure. This frees the base profile of loads and stress, which in turn makes it possible to use materials with excellent high thermal insulating properties. Thanks to ITL the entire system becomes a thermally ideal compound structure with torsionally rigid static characteristics.

Controlling Energy

Controlling natural ventilation via the flap systems integrated into the daylight systems plays an important role in optimising the building climate and reduces the energy costs for cooling with air conditioning. The integration and control of light direction and shade systems coordinates the use of natural and artificial light and automates their movement and switch-on times. Heat and light input is controlled, resulting in significantly reduced costs for heating and artificial lighting.

Generating Energy

In addition to the energy-saving effect, daylight systems also offer an excellent constructive basis for energy production. Particularly south-facing surfaces of a glass roof construction offer an ideal platform for solar systems. As an alternative, glazing with integrated photovoltaic modules can be incorporated into the frame structure. www.lamilux.de