Daylight – a sustainable natural resource for healthier environments
Independent studies have long shown that living or working in a well lit environment, makes the occupants happier, healthier and more productive. And most people prefer to work under natural light; it makes spaces appear larger and more cheerful, and lessens demands on electricity, an important factor in today’s energy-conscious world.
According to the Department of Communities and Local Government, buildings are responsible for almost 50 per cent of the UK's energy consumption and carbon emissions. Electric lighting is a major source of energy consumption – and not only by the provision of artificial light but also in the demand it in turn creates for cooling. Daylight, therefore, has become a very important design element for homes and places of work.
In the workplace, the effective use of Solatube® Daylighting Systems can reduce lighting bills by up to 75 percent by allowing electric lights to be switched off during daylight hours and eliminating the associated heat gain.
Solatube® Daylighting Systems earning BREEAM credits
BREEAM (the BRE Environmental Assessment Method) is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings in the UK. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design and has become the de facto measure used to describe a building's environmental performance. BREEAM recognises the benefits of tubular daylighting devices which contribute towards a building's enviromental performance under the Health and Well-being Section HW01 and the Energy Section E01.
