Daylighting and Lighting

• Explain fundamental photometric and colorimetric quantities and their relevance for lighting design.
• Assess how light affects human health, well-being, and visual comfort, and identify design strategies that support a healthy indoor environment.
• Predict solar positions and evaluate their implications for building orientation, façade exposure, and seasonal design considerations.
• Analyze and evaluate the performance of shading and window system performance using analytical methods, including solar energy and light transmittance calculations.
• Apply simplified methods and climate-based performance metrics to assess daylight availability, distribution, and visual comfort, including glare prediction techniques.
• Calculate the distribution of electric light in indoor spaces and evaluate product characteristics relevant for lighting design.
• Design electric lighting systems by calculating light distribution, assessing product characteristics, and integrating daylight considerations.
• Conduct lighting and daylighting simulations, interpret results in relation to regulatory and standard-based requirements for the visual indoor environment, and provide project recommendations for improvement.

The course covers fundamental concepts of light and light sources, metrological approaches for quantifying light, specifically photometry and the photometric units used in lighting design. The interaction of light in buildings, optical properties of materials, the effects on vision and health and a brief description of color and colorimetry are also introduced. The design, function, and properties of electric lighting systems as well as methods and tools to calculate electric light and energy performance, are described and practiced through different exercises. The course presents the characterization of daylight sources, design and properties of components in glass facades, solar shadings and daylight directing systems. The course delves into daylight provision while introducing methods and tools for calculating static and dynamic daylight availability in rooms. Aspects of well-being are addressed through visual comfort and view out, visual tasks, and glare. Circadian metrics, perception and occupant behavior, and multi-domain exposures, including light, are introduced. The course presents requirements for lighting design and daylight provision in regulations and codes and available software and tools to calculate the dynamic interaction between the lighting system, daylight and solar shading system.

12350/41452/41459, A basic knowledge of the optical and energy-related properties of windows is required.
Experience with 3D modelling is advised.

Lectures, exercices and assignments.

The course relies on students bringing their own PC. The software used in the course requires a Windows-based PC. The course may be combined with courses 41462,41463, and 12363 because daylight calculations are a natural part of the integrated design of buildings and the development of low-energy buildings.