1,720,973 research outputs found
Experimental assessment of environmental performance of different typologies of light pipes
No full textThe paper presents the results of an experimental activity concerning different kinds of light pipes, characterized by different section, length and material used as conduction element's coating. Such experimentation was carried out inside a scale model placed under both real sky and a sky scanning simulator. The luminous efficiency of the conduction element was measured for different pipe typologies, as well as the quantity and distribution of sunlight and daylight inside the office. So illuminance levels on working planes were measured using the sky simulator and Daylight Factor values were calculated while digital pictures taken inside the model under real sky condition were used to analyze distribution and dynamic variation of sunlight penetration. Collected data were used to verify if standard requirements were met and to compare performance of different pipes. Characteristics of the scale model, the experimental approach as well as results which were obtained are presented
IS LIGHTING BASED ON PHOTOPIC REQUIREMENTS IN ASSEMBLY WORKSTATIONS ALSO OPTIMAL FOR NON-VISUAL PERFORMANCE IN A HUMAN-CENTRIC PERSPECTIVE? A CASE STUDY IN THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR
Full text linkThe article explores how assembly stations in the automotive components industry are structured using Lean Production principles to minimize setup times, reduce travel distances, and ensure ergonomic arrangements of tools and materials. With the integration of Industiy 4.0 technologies, companies are increasingly digitizing production processes through systematic data collection, enhancing efficiency. A key factor in optimizing workstations is proper lighting, which is also central to the emerging Industry 5.0 paradigm that prioritizes human well-being alongside productivity. The study focuses on experimental lighting analyses conducted at a plant near Turin, Italy, operated by a multinational automotive company. Researchers examined both the visual and non-visual effects of light within U-and L-shaped work cells, taking measurements at the work surfaces and eye level of the operators. To compare objective findings with subjective experience, questionnaires were administered to the workers. Results showed that the lighting met regulatory standards and provided good support for circadian rhythms. However, some employees expressed concerns about glare and wanted more control over the luminous flux and positioning of the lighting systems. The findings suggest that enhancing lighting flexibility can improve visual ergonomics and support the transition toward more adaptive and worker-centred smart workstations aligned with Industry 5.0 principles
Experimental assessment of environment performance of different typologies of light pipes
No full textThe paper presents the results of an experimental activity concerning different kinds of light pipes, characterized by different section, length and material used as conduction element's coating. Such experimentation was carried out inside a scale model placed under both real sky and a sky scanning simulator. The luminous efficiency of the conduction element was measured for different pipe typologies, as well as the quantity and distribution of sunlight and daylight inside the office. So illuminance levels on working planes were measured using the sky simulator and Daylight Factor values were calculated while digital pictures taken inside the model under real sky condition were used to analyze distribution and dynamic variation of sunlight penetration. Collected data were used to verify if standard requirements were met and to compare performance of different pipes. Characteristics of the scale model, the experimental approach as well as results which were obtained are presented. © 2006 Taylor & Francis Group
The Energy Performance for Lighting in Buildings According to the New en 15193-1: Potential Energy Saving due to Different Photodimming Controls
No full textThe standard EN 15193-1:2007 'Energy performance of buildings-Energy requirements for lighting' was deeply revised in 2017. The new version introduced a more detailed method to calculate the daylight supply in a space and the consequent energy demand for lighting also considering a wider number of daylight responsive automated lighting controls (stepped and dimmed). This paper quantifies the potential energy savings due to the four typologies of dimmed controls included in the standards, with respect to a manual on/off switch. The savings were calculated for a typical office room with different daylight factors, located in four cities across Europe. For each site and for each lighting control, the minimum daylight factor able to guarantee minimum savings of 20% or of 30% was highlighted, and some combinations of room variables (window size and visible transmittance, obstruction angles, etc) yielding such daylight factor values were presented
Optimised daylighting for comfort and energy saving for the factory of the future
No full textA novel concept for a factory of the future is presented, based on the integration of different needs through a multidisciplinary approach: logistics of internal spaces (interaction between directional and production areas, modularity of spaces to allow future expansions/contractions), use of a prefabricated steel structure, environmental quality for the occupants, and energy sustainability. Daylighting was conceived as the driving force to optimise the project by enhancing the comfort and reducing the electricity use and is therefore presented in detail in the paper. A toplighting system was developed, consisting of a translucent roof with alveolar polycarbonate panel types with five different light transmission properties. Moreover, a luminous atrium was positioned at the core of the factory. Parametric daylighting analyses were run to optimize the transparency of roof panels and the layout of the building through a reiteration process carried out with a purpose-tool in Grasshopper. DIVAfor- Rhino and Daysim were used to calculate the daylight factor and some climate based daylight metrics in the building spaces, as well as the corresponding energy demand for lighting EDl. Main results of the optimized solution were: average daylight factor DFm=4.75%; useful daylight illuminance UDI100-3000>80%; EDl=8.1 kWh/m2yr for a workplane illuminance Ewp=300 lx
Daylighting as the driving force of the design process: From the results of a survey to the implementation into an advanced daylighting project
No full textThis paper presents a study for the transformation of an industrial area in Turin, Italy. The area hosts two buildings (one of which appointed as listed) to be transformed into dwellings. A synergic approach was adopted which combined expertise from architecture, social-economics, psychology and building physics sciences. Building physics sciences lead the research team. A user-centered design was pursued, using a bottom-up approach. A specifically developed questionnaire was submitted on-line to potential users. The survey showed that ‘amount of daylight’, ‘size of rooms’, ‘tranquility of the area’ and ‘presence of a private garden’ were perceived by users to be the most positive aspects of both their present and future, ideal home. These results were then implemented into the project. The exploitation of daylight became the driving force of the transformation project. Especially for the listed building, skylights and light wells were designed to bring daylight into the cores of the buildings, which host common spaces such as libraries or study rooms. The amount of daylight was assessed through the legislative index of the average daylight factor and through a climate-based modeling approach, calculating dynamic metrics such as the spatial daylight autonomy and the Useful Daylight Illuminance. The paper critically compares and discusses these two approaches. Finally, the energy demand for lighting was also calculated to analyze how the increased exploitation of daylight may imply a reduced need for electricity for lighting
Concept, Design and Performance of a Shape Variable Mashrabiya as a Shading and Daylighting System for Arid Climates
No full textThe design of a solar protection system that can minimize solar gains while maximizing daylight and view to the outside is particularly challenging in arid climates, such as in the Middle-East, where sand, wind and corrosion impose specific constraints. We propose a system that provides a trade-off for three requirements: (i) maximize diffuse sunlight and view to the outside, (ii) efficiently block direct sunlight and (iii) transform a fraction of it into diffuse light for indoor daylighting. Compliance with this last requirement provides a solution for the common problem of insufficient daylighting even in the presence of abundant solar radiation, which often forces occupants to fully close their shading system and use electric lighting. In addition, our design potentially copes well with these extreme environmental conditions and preserves local architectural character (mashrabiya-inspired design). In this paper, we establish quantitative specifications for these three requirements, provide the working principle of our shading and daylighting system and its design, which consists of a shape variable mashrabiya (SVM). We calculate and analyze the annual daylighting performance of our SVM and benchmark it against the performance of Venetian blinds and diffuse sunlight alone. Finally, we provide the minimum reflectance required for the SVM to comply with our third requirement. We built a mock-up of our SVM to investigate the validity of our simulation model
Thermochromic glazing performance: From component experimental characterisation to whole building performance evaluation
No full textThermochromic switchable glazing have been gaining increasing popularity among dynamic building envelope solutions aimed at reducing energy demand in tertiary buildings, due to their capability of varying optical properties according to the material temperature. This enables the management of entering solar loads without any need for an active control, hence thermochromic glazing performance relies on effective material design. Nevertheless, to date the development of thermochromic glazing materials has relied on limited building performance evaluations, considering the effect of managing solar radiation on energy use for heating and cooling alone, and without representing in a comprehensive way the variations of the thermochromic optical properties to include hysteresis phenomena. The present paper aims to evaluate the building performance of a ligand exchange thermochromic glazing (LETC), characterised by a wide variation of optical properties in the visible and solar spectra and hysteresis between heating and cooling cycles. To this aim an ad-hoc developed building performance simulation strategy is presented, enabling data integration between dynamic thermal simulation and climate based daylight analysis, including a thermochromic parametrical model describing the hysteretical variation of optical properties as a function of material temperature, derived from experimental measurements. The simulation method is adopted to evaluate the energy uses for heating, cooling and lighting and the visual comfort in an office space integrating the LETC glazing in different climatic contexts. The results show that the LETC glazing is able to optimise multiple building performance aspects simultaneously. Compared to static glazing benchmarks with comparable selectiveness, for the considered locations, the LETC glazing achieves a total energy use reduction from 3% to 10% and daylight availability improvements from 5% to nearly 20%. Increasing the thermochromic hysteresis has shown a positive effect on improving daylight availability (from 5% to 15%) and on reducing probable glare due to direct solar radiation (from 12% to 25%), with negligible effect on total energy use. Finally, the simulation framework presented represents a general method that can be adopted to evaluate the performance of other switchable glazing technologies as well
INTEGRATIVE LIGHTING IN OFFICES: RESULTS FROM FIELD MEASUREMENTS AND ANNUAL DAYLIGHT SIMULATIONS
No full textIntegrative lighting conditions in four offices of the university Politecnico di Torino (Turin, Italy)
were investigated, in terms of combination of daylighting and electric lighting. The research
addressed two objectives: (i) to verify if the lighting conditions could meet the recommendations
proposed in recent literature (CIE or WELL protocol) concerning light exposure for appropriate
non-visual responses (melanopic equivalent daylight illuminance m-EDI); ii) to assess the
influence on integrative lighting (photopic and melanopic illuminances) played by daylighting as
a function of different room depth and orientation, by electric lighting, as a function of different
lighting systems and by the combination of both. Electric lighting was assessed through field
measurements, while daylighting through annual simulations using LARK v2. Results showed
that CIE requirements were not met in any office, while WELL recommendations were met only
for the positions closest to the window (within 1.87 m
LIGHTING EDUCATION: A COMPARISON OF BRAZILIAN AND ITALIAN CONTEXT
No full textThis study aimed to understand, from the perspectives of architects in different countries
regarding their education in lighting and its implications for their professional practice. In
addition, also observe their shortcomings in order to contribute to a discussion about teaching.
Questionnaires were applied to architects from Brazil and Italy and the results revealed
differences such as exposure to teaching and educational emphasis and similarities such as
recognizing the extreme importance of lighting in architecture and feeling the need for more
active methodologies in teaching. Terms such as "practical application", "hands-on
experiences" and "field visits" were identified as crucial elements for improving understanding
and skills in lighting design in both contexts. The study concludes emphasize the signific ance
of enhancing lighting education within architecture curricula as a means to better equip future
architects in shaping and enhancing the human experience within the built environmen
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