November 2, 2009
Originally published in Mainebiz
Seeing the Light
Maximizing natural light is a business strategy with multiple rewards
By JEFF FRANK
Dating back to Roman times, openings to allow natural light into a structure were an essential feature in architecture. But by the mid-twentieth century, due to the availability of cheap electricity and the popularity of fluorescent lighting, windows and other openings to the sky were no longer needed to illuminate interiors. Building codes that once required natural illumination changed to comply with the times. Consequently, new commercial and industrial buildings were designed with deep floor plans to maximize space and reduce construction costs. Daylight came to be viewed as an impediment to energy savings and a hindrance to a uniformly lit environment. But that perception is changing as studies reveal the triple bottom line benefits of increased daylighting.
Daylighting is the use of openings and reflective surfaces to take advantage of both sun and skylight to provide natural illumination to a building interior. And it is gaining favor as companies search for ways to save money on energy costs, reduce their carbon footprint and keep workers happy, healthy and productive — all at the same time.
When integrated with artificial lighting controls, daylighting can significantly reduce lighting costs while providing high-quality illumination. Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, the nation’s premiere R&D facility for energy-efficient technologies, reports that lighting costs account for 35% to 40% of the total electrical energy consumption in commercial buildings and recommends daylighting as the most cost-effective strategy to reduce these costs. The National Institute of Building Sciences estimates that daylighting can reduce total building energy costs by as much as one third.
Daylighting can not only save money in reduced energy costs, it can generate income in the form of increased sales. Anecdotal accounts of the positive effects of daylighting on sales were given credence by two carefully designed studies commissioned by the state of California and conducted by the Heschong Mahone Group. In both studies, researchers found the introduction of daylighting through the placement of diffusing skylights increased retail sales in a particular chain store by an average of 40%.
These are some of the reasons retail giant Wal-Mart has made a commitment to include daylighting in its 200-300 newly constructed or converted facilities each year. Almost 600 Wal-Mart Supercenters, SAM’S Clubs and Neighborhood Markets integrate artificial lights with daylighting strategies, resulting in an annual savings of about 250 million kilowatt hours a year. According to the company, that’s enough electricity to power approximately 23,000 homes. Based on an internal study, Wal-Mart has concluded that it uses 25% to 35% less electricity than its competitors. Numerous other companies have followed suit, including Maine’s Hannaford, whose new Augusta store makes extensive use of daylighting and recently achieved LEED platinum status — the highest rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Common concerns associated with replacing artificial light with daylight are glare, insufficient illumination, heat loss and solar heat gain (warming of the interior through sunlight). All of these issues can be addressed by tailoring a daylighting solution to the specific needs of a business and selecting high-performance products. In Maine, for example, solar heat gain is less of a concern than it would be in Florida, where cooling costs far exceed those for heating.
With the focus on green building and daylighting as an important component, the industry has made great progress with technological advancements such as the Nanogel skylight, which provides an insulating value almost equal to that of an exterior wall without a significant reduction in light transmission. Nanogel-enhanced skylights are up to six times as energy efficient as conventional units and provide an abundance of glare-free, full spectrum diffused light.
Less tangible, though no less important, benefits of daylighting include its impact on worker productivity and health. Studies have found a direct correlation between exposure to daylight and mental alertness, productivity, psychological well being and even physical health. As we move deeper into the digital age, spending a disproportionate amount of time in front of computer screens, finding ways to reconnect us to the natural environment grows increasingly more important.
And finally, complementing electric lights with daylighting reduces a company’s impact on the environment. In the state of Maine, about half of all electricity is produced by burning natural gas. Although as a fossil fuel natural gas is considered to be cleaner than coal or oil, it still has a significant impact on the generation of greenhouses gas emissions. Methane, the principal component in natural gas, is 21 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. The U.S. Energy Information Administration cites Maine as the only New England state where industry is the leading energy consuming sector. Strategies such as daylighting that help reduce electrical demand could help put Maine on a path towards a more sustainable economy, while providing direct benefits to the companies who lead the way.
Aspen, CO, July 17, 2009
Excerpt from: "Commercial Skylight Repair,"Skylight Specialist Inc.
Wasco Skylights in Aspen, Colorado
A need was filled for a low pitch glass skylight with high or heavy snow loads
An old friend of the glazing contractors is Wasco Products located in the small town of Sanford Maine. This family owned skylight company was established in 1935 and is still in the same place it’s been for decades. They brought the term “Made in Maine” to mean something in the skylight industry. Wasco has kept up with and many times challenged our industry with bold new approaches to natural daylighting, a true tradition in excellence.
One such challenge was a building in downtown Aspen, CO. The general contractor asked for glass skylights with no glare and a low pitch but with a 90 pound snow load. The previous manufacturer he spoke with would not build it less than an 8:12 pitch, which was rejected by the designer.
The call to Wasco products was placed and their in house engineers went to work. They completed the shop drawings and the engineering calculation and had them on the desk of the contractor within a few weeks. The city of Aspen approved the drawings and Skylight Specialist Inc. installed two beautiful Wasco skylights. The owner of the building loved the new additions and the general contractor liked the way Skylight Specialist Inc. and Wasco Products worked to deliver what the customer wanted, even all the way out here in the west.
Sanford, ME, May 16, 2009
Wasco Introduces Nanogel High Performance Skylights
Wasco Skylights with Nanogel – Almost 6x the thermal value!
Wasco skylights with Nanogel® Translucent Aerogel are the highest performing daylighting product available on the market today. They are an excellent value and can substantially reduce energy costs and provide a great return on investment. Transform your daylighting applications into environmentally friendly sustainable, energy-efficient designs.
Nanogel® is a major breakthrough in insulating technology. By adapting nano technology to practical everyday solutions in fenestration products, Nanogel® is able to provide a tremendous thermal insulator that is also environmentally sound. Nanogel® works so well because of what it does on a nano-scale. Nanogel® permanently stops connective, conductive, thermal transfer without an appreciable drop in light transmission.
Sanford, ME, May 12, 2009
Wasco becomes is a Registered Provider of AIA Continuing Education Credits
Wasco Products, Inc. is now a Registered Provider with The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Continuing Education Systems (CES). Credit earned on completion of these programs will be reported to CES Records for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for non-AIA members are available upon request.
These programs are registered with the AIA/CES for continuing professional education.
Available Presentations for Architects and Home / Building Designers:
1. High Performance Schools
2. Daylighting
3. Nanogel
Coming Soon
1. Hurricane Resistant Skylights
2. "Architectural Series" Custom Residential Skylights
Sanford, ME, 2008
Wasco introduces the Horizon Translucent Daylighting System
Canopy Systems - Translucent Skylight
Easy to install, modular translucent polycarbonate Horizon skylight system provides high quality diffused daylighting that won’t yellow.
Horizon Translucent Daylighting System: Wasco’s cellular, polycarbonate skylight design is a standing seam, dry glazed, daylighting system with proven energy-saving solar and thermal properties. The translucent Horizon System is constructed of lightweight, impact resistant, UV protected panels with snap-on battens and structural clips that are easy to install.
Sanford, ME, 2007
Wasco launches Nanogel High Performance Skylights with almost 6x the thermal value of comparable skylights. Wasco skylights with Nanogel® Translucent Aerogel are the highest performing daylighting product available on the market today. Potential LEEDS credits.
Sanford, ME, January 19, 2004
Wasco Products, Inc.’s innovative Architectural Series was named one of the year’s best in American building products by Home Magazine at the 2004 International Builders Show in Las Vegas today. These custom SkyWindows® are available to residential builders coast-to-coast, making them the only nationally-distributed large skylight structures in the U.S.
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The Wasco Architectural Series, shown here in an “Extended Pyramid” design, was named one of the year’s best in American building products by Home Magazine. Architect: Cunningham & Quill Associates. Photo by Hoachlander Davis Photography. |
More Wasco News
Christian G. Magnuson, President of Wasco Products, Inc., is presented with the "American Building Product Award" at IBS 2004 in Las Vegas.
Wasco In The News
Click a headline to read the article.
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Thinking Outside the Box: Seeing Skylights as More Than Boxed Units By Steve St. Pierre as seen in DWM, August 2004 |