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Down with Fluorescents! Daylight Benefits Entire Office
By Solar energy | June 1, 2010
Complete video at: fora.tv Mirjam Munch compares the quality of lighting conditions in offices using artificial lighting to those using redirected daylight. She shows how redirected daylight may help more naturally regulate the circadian rhythms of office dwellers. —– Natural light helps keep our bodies in tune with the external cycle of day and night, the so-called circadian system, and therefore with the world around us. For many, sunlight is a cue to wake, while darkness leads us toward sleep. It is important, then, that the buildings we inhabit take full advantage of daylight — both to keep human occupants comfortable and healthy, and also to optimize energy efficiency. For the third event in the series on light, swissnex San Francisco brings Jean-Louis Scartezzini and Mirjam Münch, from the Solar Energy and Building Physics Laboratory at EPFL, to present their experiences with daylighting research and technology. Their work illustrates possible integration steps toward optimized “Day and Night” lighting environments with respect to energy consumption and human health. Marilyne Andersen, associate professor in the Building Technology Program of MIT’s Department of Architecture and head of the Daylighting Lab, also joins the discussion with an overview of her efforts to better integrate energy-efficiency and human-responsiveness to daylighting into architecture and design. – Swissnex San Francisco Mirjam Münch joined the Solar Energy and Building Physics Laboratory …
Topics: solar energy advantages | 9 Comments »
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:02 pm
Not this guy. I picked a career that bans me to the basement for 8-9 hours a day. Oh well, its a good thing I bike and walk alot, huh?
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Its amazing how bad presentation can ruin interesting research.
February 23rd, 2010 at 11:05 pm
The idea is interesting, but what about temperature? Fluorescents do not heat the office space; sunlight does. Does the cost of AC not offset the benefits of the new lighting?
February 24th, 2010 at 12:10 am
@mrigor83
bad presentation? kept me intrigued long enough…
February 24th, 2010 at 12:43 am
wtf?
February 24th, 2010 at 9:42 am
The heat load of office lighting makes up a large portion of the cost of AC in a typical office. Valid concern, but the difference is not significant.
February 24th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
You would think that anyone knowledgeable enough for a ForaTV prog would have good presentation skills. Evidently not. But to be fair maybe its a bad edit.
February 26th, 2010 at 10:25 pm
Third shift gets to work in the dark I guess..
February 28th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
too many people just shuffle paper and cash
not enough people do actual work
on the slapping hand
my job requires a considerable amount of light
and sunlight just doesn’t do the same as incandescents
and florescents have mercury in them…
now the problem isn’t amount of light
sunlight has too bloody much
makes everything shine and hurts the eyes
are office workers gonna be required to wear shades at work
weren’t those guys fired at one time?