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Daylight Modelling

Ask About Our State Of The Art Radiance Technology..

..and how we can help you understand how to minimise energy consumption through thoughtful design and the use of sunlight. 

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Our Capability Statement

commercial capability statement

 

Daylight modelling can be an incredibly useful tool in minimising energy consumption and compensating by utilising the heat and thermal comfort provided by the sun. Our assessors with their 17+ years of experience are well versed in the process of daylight modelling and can guide you in creating the best home or building possible. 

 

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What is Daylight Modelling?

 

Daylight modelling is the prediction of various radiant or luminous quantities using daylight conditions derived from standard meteorological datasets.

Daylight modelling made its appearance among other building performance simulation disciplines relatively recently, marking a profound change from the previously established daylight analyses, such as the daylight factor and sun path diagrams. Daylight metrics derived from daylight modelling now appear in building guidelines, and daylight modelling evaluations are becoming widespread in design practices since they have proven to be a powerful tool to extract a wealth of information on the annual daylight performance of buildings.

 

 

What are the applications of Daylight Modelling?

Daylight modelling can be used for all building types. Rating systems such as LEED v4 and the Green Star Rating are now driving this approach increasingly. Councils and VCAT have been requesting or requiring daylight assessment, analysis and/or modelling. This is especially common for mixed use and apartment developments. Once it is modelled, the data from the daylight model can also often be reused to perform JV3 thermal modelling for Class 2-9 buildings.

Outcomes from daylight modelling can include optimised:
  • Building form
  • Room layouts
  • Shading projections
  • Screening approaches
  • Window sizes, positions and tinting, and
  • Building orientation where practical.

 

 

How is Daylight Modelling conducted?

Daylight Modelling is done using state of the art radiance technology which takes a model of your design and tests it under a variety of environments (full sunlight, overcast, torrential weather, etc.) and it does so by utilising real meteorological data. In order to develop a solution that suits you, we implement knowledge such as who will be using the dwelling, when will the dwelling be occupied, building infrastructure, etc. 
 
Similar to our thermal modelling software, BERS Pro, we also implement location data such as the orientation of the building, its height, location, climate data, and more, to gather accurate information of how your building will perform within Australia's climate. 
 
Once satisfied with the information gathered, we can suggest modifications (if necessary) that will enable you to build a dwelling which will keep you thermally comfortable throughout the year and ensure you get as much sunshine as possible whilst minimising energy consumption that would otherwise be used on HVAC systems. 
 
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What are the criteria for Daylight Modelling?

 

  • Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI) and Spatial Daylight Autonomy (DA) are the two main criteria in Daylight Modelling to assess whether a room will be sufficiently day lit or not.
  • Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI) is the annual occurrence of illuminances across the work-plane that is within a range considered “useful” by occupants.
  • Luminance = The luminous intensity (power emitting by a light source or reflected from a surface in a given direction) that is received by the human eye. 
  • Daylight Autonomy (DA) is the amount of time a space can expect to reach a target illuminance level on the working plane.
  • Daylight Autonomy = The percent of occupied times of the year for which the minimum illuminance requirement is met by daylight alone.

 

 

What are the benefits of using Daylight Modelling?

Using Climate Based Daylight Modelling instead of daylight factors provides much greater detail about light distribution and intensity within a space, allowing the building’s design to be adjusted to maximise the use of sunlight and daylight. It can be used to:

  • Compare different design options
  • Verify that a proposed design will provide adequate daylight
  • Predict sources of potential glare, look at contrast ratios or balance of daylight within a space
  • Indicate potential energy savings from electric lighting use
  • Document daylighting code compliance
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A Capability Statement

 
 

Costing and Time Commitments

 
The cost of a Daylight Modelling analysis can vary greatly depending on the scale and complexity of the process given that there can be so many factors involved within the project
 
Likewise, the time it takes to conduct a Daylight Modelling analysis can also vary greatly, but generally it can take anywhere between 3-7 business days. 
 
Please contact us and provide architectural plans and location data and we will aim to get back to you with a quote within the same business day. 
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