Skylight Energy Performance and Design Optimization

Proper skylight utilization can significantly lower energy requirements and peak electrical loads for space conditioning and lighting in commercial buildings. In this study we systematically explore the energy effects of skylight systems in a prototypical officesbuilding and examine the savings from daylighting. We used the DOE-2.1B energy analysis computer program with its newly incorporated daylighting algorithims to generate more than 2000 parametric simulations for seven U.S. climates. The parameters varied include skylight-to-roof ratio, shading coefficient, visible transmittance, skylight well light loss, electric lighting powersdensity, roof heat transfer coefficient, and type of electric lighting control. For specific climates we identify roof/skylight characteristics that minimize total energy or peak electrical load requirements.