The Passive Solar Power of Daylighting
This blog was established to provide insight and knowledge about the passive solar opportunity available to building owners and occupants through proper daylighting practices. My 12 years of experience in high performance daylighting as both a contractor and product provider has lead me to be involved with many different daylighting systems and practices and experience how they all perform and effect both the built environment and building occupants. This blog is dedicated to providing relevant technical and educational information on high performance daylighting as a cost effective energy efficiency tool as well as provide insight into the human productivity opportunity available to every building owner.
High Performance Daylighting: Renewable Energy Solution with Zero Carbon Output
This week in Copenhagen, Denmark the world embarks on the continued push for global climate change. At the forefront of the discussion during the two week conference are the world’s use of fossil fuels for energy production and the carbon emissions resulting from the burning of these fossil fuels. The push by world organizations is to dramatically decrease carbon production by drastically c ...... Read More
Comments (1)Skylighting or daylighting—there definitely is a difference!
The use of skylights in a building for the main source of illumination has taken center stage over the last year as building codes have been rapidly changing around performance standards and requirements. One of the biggest topics regarding skylights is the value of thermal efficiency versus the value of high light transmission and diffusion and there is a lot of confusion in the market place as w ...... Read More
Comments (3)Renewable energy makes “cents,” but building efficiency pays real dollars for U.S. businesses
U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced a new $450 million program last week designed to catalyze a nationwide energy efficiency upgrade that experts estimate could save $100 million annually in utility bills for businesses. The Recovery Act’s “Retrofit Ramp-Up” program will pioneer innovative models for rolling out energy efficiency to hundreds of thousands of businesse ...... Read More
Comments (1)Carbon reduction may soon be more than a good thing to do
The American Clean Energy and Security Act, ACES, H.R. 2454, previously known as the Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill, was recently passed by the US House of Representatives on 26 June 2009. The Bill is authored by the House Energy & Commerce Committee and is sponsored by the Committee’s Chairman, Congressmen, Henry Waxman (D-California) and by the Chairman of the Environment ...... Read More
Comments (1)The simple solution for carbon neutral buildings—high performance daylighting
In the not to distant future, building owners will face the challenge of not only reducing energy usage in their buildings, but the elevated challenge of obtaining a carbon neutral footprint. Europe has already implemented carbon standards and mandates for business owners and the call for reduction the world over is an every day topic. Earlier this year, the State of California announced building ...... Read More
Comments (1)U.S. Treasury Announces 30% Grant Incentive for Renewable Energy Projects
Daylighting’s approval as a renewable energy technology Under EPACT 2005 amendment in January, 2008 may cause the art of daylighting to become mainstream. On May 22, 2009, at a conference regarding solar energy financing, a Treasury Department official commented favorably on the new program that lets renewable energy providers claim cash grants in lieu of tax credits. Ellen Neubauer is the ...... Read More
Comments (2)U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Releases Commercial Lighting Solutions at LightFair 2009 in New York – Heavy Focus on High Performance Daylighting
On May 5, 2009, The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today introduced Commercial Lighting Solutions, its latest innovation designed to improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings with a major focus on retail energy initiatives as well as Daylighting. The interactive Web tool is designed to help commercial building owners improve lighting efficiency by at least 30% over ASHRAE 90.1-2004 and be ...... Read More
Comments (0)Now that Earth Day 2009 Is Over, NOW WHAT?
I don’t know if you are like me, but when I opened my inbox today it was filled with ump-teen emails regarding Earth Day. Save the planet was the model for all and how their product or service would help save the environment. I related the experience to the overwhelming throng of people who end up in Church on Easter Sunday or Christmas Eve only to find the next week a half vaca ...... Read More
Comments (6)DAYLIGHTING / TOPLIGHTING WITH SKYLIGHTS – Reducing Natural Light Levels To Achieve Thermal Efficiency Is Not Necessarily A Positive Gain On Energy Savings
There is a lot of misinformation out there when it comes to toplighting or daylighting with skylights for energy savings. The miss information has even lead many northern city’s building codes to be set with standards that minimize the true opportunity available through daylighting. The biggest misnomer in daylighting is this…Thermal efficiency (increase U-Value at the ri ...... Read More
Comments (5)EPACT AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY – CAP AND TRADE ARE ONLY HALF THE STORY
Besides the recent information posted on this blog on the reduction in CO2 production that daylighting provides through reduction of kWh energy usage, The Energy Performance Act of 2005 (EPACT) also poses a great incentive to consider daylight harvesting under the energy efficient lighting program with the inclusion of lighting controls. A tax deduction of up to $1.80/sf is available for buildings ...... Read More
Comments (3)DAYLIGHTING AND EPACT 2005 – What You Need To Know
In 2008, the U.S. Federal Government amended Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005) to include the use of qualified new renewable energy sources to count towards the EO13423 Requirement under EPACT 2005. How the EO13423 Requirement Impacts the EPACT 2005 Goal is that it requires that all agencies use new renewable energy sources equal to half of the EPACT 2005 renewable energy requirem ...... Read More
Comments (1)The Sweet SPOT™ for Daylighting
Daylighting systems, which use natural lighting to supplement electric lighting, have the potential to cut energy use, reduce peak demand, and create a more desirable indoor environment, yet these systems often fail to live up to their potential. One reason they fail is that they are sensitive to photo sensor placement and performance, but there have been no easy-to-use tools to help designers pre ...... Read More
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