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EXTERNAL ENVELOPE
with vertical glazing. It considers the spread of light, how much sky ‘we can see,’ and occupant visual comfort.
Sections three and four look at daylight characterisation, availability and prediction, including the daylight factor and climate based daylight modelling, and lighting level recommendations. The latter compares artifi cial lighting illuminance levels with the likely occurrence of various daylight levels via a roofl ight system and explains why “it is vital to ensure at the design stage that the roofl ights will deliver the desired provision of natural illumination.” To aid modern building design, the ‘new’ daylight standards – the European CEN Standard for Daylight in Buildings (EN 17037) and the WELL Building Standard are also explained in the document.
© Glazing Vision
The right layout is also critical to maximise the daylight potential within the building
• Spaces with good daylight are associated with improved staff retention and reduced absenteeism.
• Exposure to suffi cient levels of daylight is believed to support the long-term health and wellbeing of occupants.
• Good daylighting in buildings has been shown to increase asset value and space utilisation.
The most important commercial and environmental benefi t is demonstrated in the case study, Daylight Potential and Energy Saving, which uses a 3D model based on a typical roof lit building. The data reveal that a typical roof lit building has considerable potential to reduce electric lighting energy consumption by using daylight effectively. The study recommends electric lighting be dimmed, or even switched off entirely, in response to available daylight to realise signifi cant savings.
Effective daylighting
Insights from the white paper can be used to inform building design. The study explains why the potential for the effective exploitation of daylight in buildings with roofl ights is much greater than in buildings
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Essential element in building design For large-span buildings, daylighting performance is directly related to the proportion of roof area assigned to roofl ights. The white paper advises: “For non-residential industrial/commercial building types, this [is] typically 10-20% of the roof area.”
The right layout is also critical to maximise the daylight potential within the building. The most effective layout balances internal requirements, like boosting natural light levels in deep-plan spaces, with practical considerations, externally, such as other utilities and photovoltaic panels on the roof.
Sometimes, these decisions are left to the
roofi ng contractor or metal roofi ng supplier, but this is often too late. Early engagement is key to an effective roofl ight installation. Instead, work with roofl ight manufacturers or suppliers in the early planning stages to facilitate the design. They will likely ask for the project goals and then offer a solution to make the most effi cient building possible. For ease, many of our members have products listed on NBS Source, or similar, and also offer CPDs. To conclude, daylighting performance is largely determined by the decisions made at the early design stage and so, we believe architects must consider daylighting to be an essential element in building design if we are to create healthier, better, more effi cient buildings.
Paul Smith is chair of The Roofl ight Association
ADF NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025
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