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Translucent Fibreglass Glazing System for Daylighting: Effects on Health
and Task Performance
Objectives
To study the satisfaction, mood, and performance of people working in
an office with a translucent fibreglass sandwich panel glazing system
and to compare the lighting and heating energy use with that in a room
with conventional glass windows.
Background
People spend over 90% of the time indoors, but research suggests that
a higher light exposure could improve health and well-being. To be sustainable,
however, these light exposures need to come from energy-efficient sources,
of which daylight is one. Controlling direct sunlight is an important
aspect of successful daylighting. Translucent fibreglass daylight sandwich
panels are one potential solution, offering the potential for high levels
of diffuse light without glare from direct sunlight, and with additional
thermal insulation.
Statement of Work
An experiment was conducted in IRC's Daylighting Facility, a suite of
two identical side-by-side enclosed offices with SSE-facing windows. One
office was glazed with the translucent daylight sandwich panel; the other
had conventional double-glazing (with a neutral tint of 31% transmittance)
and a perforated roller blind. Both rooms had daylight-linked dimming
systems for electric lighting that adjusted the electric lighting based
on the available daylight. Participants spent a day in each room, working
on office-related tasks and completing questionnaires about their mood,
satisfaction, and opinions of the lighting and environmental conditions.
Results
Highlights of the results:
• The room with the translucent panel installation consumed 29% less
energy for lighting than the room with the regular window and perforated
roller blind. Energy use for heating was also reduced as would be expected
given the additional thermal insulation.
• Light levels in the translucent panel room were 2.6 times greater
on average than in the window room, and light exposure in the 450-470
nm range of the spectrum (thought to be the key wavelengths for circadian
regulation) was approximately eight times greater.
• People rated a window with a wider view of outdoors as more satisfactory
than a more restricted view.
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| Office
with translucent panel |
Office
with window and roller blind. Both
photos taken at noon on clear, sunny day.
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Outcomes
1. Report containing the results and implications for daylighting practice
2. A scientific journal article and a conference paper
Partners
Kalwall Corp.
Start/Completion Dates
The project began in October 2003 and completed in March 2005.
Project Manager
Dr. Jennifer A. Veitch
613 993-9671
Photometric
Issues in Healthy Lighting Research and Application, presented at CIE
Symposium '04, Vienna, Austria
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