My group is studying daylighting technologies in intelligent building for the final project. Daylighting is one feature of design that has a large impact on occupant productivity, energy efficiency, and aesthetics. We plan to study lighting sensors, smart glass windows, and passive daylighting techniques as three types of daylight harvesting strategies. Our project will also look into the energy usage of these three topics to compare their efficiency and common applications. My group was interested in researching the future advancements of daylighting, especially sensors and controls. I think this topic will be helpful for my senior design project as well. My team is working on designs to retrofit a historic warehouse to become a middle school. We want to incorporate the large existing windows of the warehouse into the overall lighting design in order to enhance the classroom environment and student productivity.
This research paper will be challenging in that the technology is only as beneficial as the occupants allow. Manual overrides that are not reset could potentially reverse the annual electricity savings. It will also be challenging to narrow our research since it is a broad topic and widely adopted in new construction.
This topic is tied to intelligent building because it is one aspect of adaptive technology. Lighting sensors read ambient light levels and will adjust the intensity of interior fixtures in response to the outdoor conditions. This control sequence depends on location, building orientation, and type of space. The photosensors adjust the electric lighting in the space based on the intensity of available daylight through building fenestration. The most advanced types of systems are connected to dimming switches, which will regulate the amount of electric powered lighting throughout the day. These systems are generally more difficult to install and more costly because of the additional sensors and integration with the building automation system.
All three daylight harvesting systems that we chose could be used together. Dimming systems will work the best in spaces with skylights, clerestory windows, light tubes, or glass curtain walls. Since these sensors and calibration have a high initial cost, they are most common in open commercial spaces like lobbies, open office spaces, schools, and malls. Passive lighting is nothing new to the building design industry, but adaptive technologies have found ways to take advantage of the variations in lighting levels throughout the day. Photosensors are now a common characteristic in new construction projects for occupant productivity and increased energy savings compared to the baseline model.
Reference:
http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/daylighting/rp_simplifiedconcepts.asp
Comments:
Cathlene,
Very interesting topic - even though there is still a lot of research and testing to be done, this type of 3D printing could transform building design and construction. I am a bit skeptical that we will see this applied in the near future because of the two issues of buildability and flowability like you mentioned. It is a really interesting concept but there are still huge developments to be made before we see this applied at such a large scale as a building envelope. I think architectural firms will be the
most eager to adopt this technology for modeling complex forms and curved facades. This type of advancement will also call for a new skill set in the structural engineering field, since designers will need advanced software to model stresses around the built-in openings for duct mains, conduit, and piping.
Maq,
Sounds like a great project - it will be extremely helpful to have a 3D model that your group can develop throughout the term for section views and refer to for schedules. You may be able to link the AutoCAD plans to your Revit model through the Manage Links tab. That might help you match the existing floor plans which you can place on the demolition phase, and all new mechanical and structural systems can be on a separate new construction phase. Even though the central model and local files are not available here, having a 3D model will help your team visualize any coordination issues.
Alexis-
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an interesting topic. We have all always learned that sunlight imposes a large thermal load on buildings, but the effect of sunlight on occupant productivity is something that also needs to be considered. It is also good that you will be incorporating what you learn during this research on your senior design project. That only makes this topic that much more important because it demonstrates the real life application of your research. I also agree with what you said about the control of daylighting being an adaptive technology. The weather is unpredictable, and can only be controlled in buildings through the use of sensors and other intelligent building components. Good post.
Alexis-
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an interesting topic. We have all always learned that sunlight imposes a large thermal load on buildings, but the effect of sunlight on occupant productivity is something that also needs to be considered. It is also good that you will be incorporating what you learn during this research on your senior design project. That only makes this topic that much more important because it demonstrates the real life application of your research. I also agree with what you said about the control of daylighting being an adaptive technology. The weather is unpredictable, and can only be controlled in buildings through the use of sensors and other intelligent building components. Good post.
Alexis,
ReplyDeleteYou have definitely chosen an interesting topic to dive into. And I believe as an Architectural Engineering student, it would be necessary to get to know more about the mechanical aspect of the building instead of purely structural. How to save energy, and how to optimize the indoor environment with different hardware, such as light sensors and smart glass windows like you have mentioned here, is crucial for us to understand and manipulate.
I am looking forward to learning more from your presentation. Good luck!
Hello Alexis,
ReplyDeleteI actually have some experience researching this technology and how it works and it seems like you're on the right track to making an interesting project out of it. Back in Freshman year, all those years ago for Freshman design, my instructor, Doctor Ellis worked with daylighting technologies. It might be worth checking in with her if you're interesting as she could have some beneficial insight. I think that daylighting technology can be extremely beneficial if implemented correctly, but like you said it is limited by how much the occupants use it.
Alexis,
ReplyDeleteI find your topic really interesting. I can definitely see that daylight technologies have an immense future potential. For my senior seminar I research sensing technologies for structural health monitoring. My research showed that this sensing technology is extremely useful but it can be improved. My question is: Do you know how advance this technology is? I would like to incorporate these daylight technologies into my senior design. Unfortunately, I am not able to do so because its high cost will compromise costs of my houses.
Alexis, smart glass windows sounds pretty cool. You said you want to retrofit a warehouse into a middle school, it’s a really challenging project. I think to retrofit the warehouse you not only need to consider about the daylighting problem but also need to pay attention on the building energy aspect. Good luck with your project!
ReplyDelete