This paper proposes and validates a daylighting design sequence for sidelit spaces. Since the design sequence uses the daylight factor as a performance metric, it is aimed towards spaces that primarily receive diffuse daylight. It should be complemented by a design analysis that looks at direct sunlight for glare and energy considerations. The sequence interconnects and refines earlier proposed rules of thumb and is intended to be used during the earliest design stages when concepts regarding programming, floor plans, massing and window areas are initially explored. All steps within the sequence were ‘validated’ using Radiance simulations of over 2300 sidelit spaces. During step one of the sequence the effective sky angles are calculated and target daylight factors are defined for all potential daylit zones within a building. In step two a refined version of the ‘daylight feasibility study’ is used to help the design team to identify building zones with high daylighting potential based on a target mean daylight factor criterion. During step three suitable interior room dimensions and surface reflectances are determined using a combination of the Lynes’ limiting depth, ‘no sky line’, and window-head-height rules of thumb. Step four provides a more accurate estimate of the required glazing area for each zone based on the Lynes daylight factor formula which is also validated as part of this work. The effect of external obstructions is considered throughout the process. The paper closes with a discussion of the merits of the design sequence compared to the glazing factor spreadsheet calculation method promoted by LEED-NC 2.2.

This paper presents some results of a project that has been aimed at developing an event-driven user-centric middleware for the monitoring and management of energy consumption in already existing public buildings. One of the strengths of the designed system is that it allows an easy integration of heterogeneous technologies and their hardware-independent interoperability. This is a feature of great importance for existing buildings, where already existing controls could be integrated with new technologies to enhance the energy efficiency of a building. The functionality of the system has been tested in a number of representative spaces of already existing public buildings, where the already installed HVAC and lighting services have been equipped with monitoring and actuating systems designed and implemented using commercial off-the-shelf wired and wireless devices. This paper focuses on the energy aspects, which have been obtained by applying the designed system to monitor and control the electric lighting fixtures of different office spaces. The outcomes obtained from the monitored data have shown some significant differences from the expected and previously estimated energy saving results, and this paper offers some possible explanations. Some criticalities, in part related to the characteristics of the commercial off-the-shelf adopted devices and in part to the difficulties encountered in monitoring and analyzing the huge number of recorded data, are outlined.

This paper investigates the potential reuse of coarse glass wastes as insert in a high performance cement matrix to produce translucent concrete panels for architectural applications such as interior walls. The effects of the addition of glass scraps on chemical and optical properties of concrete were studied. Alkali-silica reactivity resistance tests were carried out to evaluate the reactivity between amorphous waste glass and alkaline concrete pore solution. Light transmittance LT was evaluated through Radiance simulations and measurements on sample prototypes. The increase in the amount of daylight in a sample room and the reduction in the energy demand for lighting EDl were investigated through Daysim simulations. Compared to two opaque side walls, the use of two translucent concrete walls with a LT of 5% allowed a reduction in EDl up to 16% in Palermo (L=38.3°N)

The aim of the paper is to highlight the potentialities for supporting the decision making process and design activities, for the case of retrofit projects with alternative technological solutions to compare. A multidisciplinary approach was adopted, involving the contribution of Real Estate Market and Economic Evaluation of Project, Architectural Technology and Building Physics. A simplified application of the Life Cycle Costing methodology was used, in synergy with energy analyses, to select, among different scenarios, the most viable solution for the retrofitting project of a single house in Northern Italy