It is rather amusing to me that is now becoming a movement to go back to a pretty basic concept: using the sun as a source of light. Pretty regularly I hear about solar energy, but I hadn't really thought about the extent to which we could further utilize what is one of our most important resources. The tour of the Cyber Infrastructure building introduced me to the simple idea of controlling and guiding sunlight into a building, and Bill Brown mentioned in class how Walmart is now installing skylights on it roofs. I decided to do a bit more research into to this idea of daylighting buildings.
Commercial Use
Electricity for lighting accounts for approximately 20 to 50% of industrial and commercial energy use. Many large companies including Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowes are now installing skylights on the roofs of their stores and participating in what is fancily called "daylight harvesting." Many of the companies' representatives, including the VP of International Development of Walmart in this photo, are talking about how this is part of their efforts to lessen their impact on the environment. Many people are crying BS, including one architect who said they don't love trees or spotted owls; it is all about the dollar.
I say, "So what?" Roseland really stressed in this chapter how energy efficiency and saving money go hand-in-hand. Walmart is the largest energy user in the world, and it also the largest building owner. Each skylight installed saves 3,360 kWh per year. Not only does the reduction of electric light use save money, but the lack of electric lighting keeps the temperatures cooler and saves money on air conditioning costs. If saving them money is what it takes for them to significantly reduce their energy consumption, then so be it. Roseland seems to be saying that it is the best way to encourage companies and individuals to take these measures that will ultimately help the environment.
Better Performance
Daylight indoors has plenty of other benefits. We heard in class how Walmart has found that items sold in areas lit by daylight tend to sell more quickly. Studies also show that people linger in stores much longer and that employees have increased morale and productivity and decreased absenteeism. The same holds true for schools. Students tend to perform better on tests lit by daylight and there are fewer cases of truancy. Health
Daylight effects on health are also a reason to seriously consider using daylighting in school, offices, commercial buildings, industrial buildings, and our homes. The most basic one is that sunlight stimulates the production of endorphins and serotonin in our brains, making us feel happier, more awake, and have a greater sense of well-being. Other lesser known powers of sunlight include lowering cholesterol; reducing the risk of breast, colon, and prostrate cancer; preventing dental decay; and relieving the symptoms of PMS. Kids in schools lit with daylight also tend to grow taller.
Daylighting Our Homes
Aside from large windows in the walls, traditional daylighting at home involves essentially a window in the ceiling. People complain that the direct sunlight fades carpet and furniture and that the skylights are not well-insulated. A new type of skylight solves those problems and is much easier to install.
Tubular skylights are, well, tubes that bring in sunlight. A highly reflective tube snakes its way from your roof to your ceiling. The light is emitted through a frosted glass fixture that looks just like any normal electric light fixture. The fixture diffuses the light and eliminates most of the harmful UV rays. These can be picked up at a home improvement store and installed on your own.
Again not only will you help the environment by reducing energy consumption, you will be saving money, creating a better atmosphere in your home, and getting immeasurable health benefits.
I love when one solution can solve so many problems! That is why I am studying sustainable development!
P.S. This song was stuck in my head the entire time I was researching and writing this blog.
I agree with you that many "innovative" sustainability solutions are amusing, because while they are indeed innovative technologically speaking, the concepts upon which they are based have been around for such a long time (i.e. using sunlight for lighting your buildings)! I'm so glad that architects and designers are going back to incorporating such basic things as sunlight, wind patterns, and shading to complement and enhance their building; not only does it make good economic and environmental sense, but as you pointed out, the health and happiness benefits for those using the buildings are quite substantial as well!
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting read! I do think it's funny that places like Walmart and Home Depot are investing in this technology, more than likely because it helps cut down on bills, but by taking advantage of daylighting, they are reducing their global impact.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, my grandparents have had solar panels on the side of their home for as long as I can remember, and it didn't occur to me until a couple of years ago what their real purpose was. Yay for solar energy!
Katie, I totally agree with what you are saying. I will probably jump around a bit in commenting on your post, but I think I can draw a link between my points. It is like the research cited by Dr. McKenzie-Mohr, author of Fostering Sustainable Behavior. Studies have shown that sustainable behaviors are not only adopted more frequently, but they are also practiced over a longer time-period when social marketing techniques are paired with local leadership. Well even though I despise saying it, the big companies like Wal-Mart that have invaded small towns across America are, in a way, leaders with a lot of potential to influence people. As such, they seem like a pretty good target to me.
ReplyDeleteWhat still boggles my mind, is how such enormous (yet highly detailed in terms of operation) corporations continue to overlook so many of these cost-saving, bottom-line benefiting, efficiency-increasing, seemingly “well worth it in the long-run” investments that would put not only their shareholders’ retirement plans, but the loyalty of future customers, grateful for the preservation of limited natural resources, on the path to sustainability.
I’ll wrap this up by saying that I think this task, maybe one of the most important many of us will face in our careers, is possible, but likely to be easier said than done. When will we, as consumers, stop signaling the market for lower prices and start increasing the demand for less impact? If I could sit still for more than the amount of time spent in the average lecture, I might consider joining the occupancy!
thanks for doing this research, Katie! I agree that just because it saves them money, it doesn't mean that it isnt helping the environment.
ReplyDeleteHa, I think the term "daylight harvesting" is hilarious, like it's some exotic fruit we've only just become acquainted with. Thanks for highlighting (pun intended) tubular skylights: the simplicity of the concept makes me think of solar water heaters, which sound like something complex, but which, in their simplest form, can just be a black bag or barrel on a roof top! It doesn't get much more low tech I suppose. http://www.ranchomastatal.com/pages/photos/show_photo2.php?id=452
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I completely agree with you that it doesn't matter if the motivators behind businesses switching to sustainable practices are touchy-feely: energy/resource/waste savings are savings, simple as that! And if we wait for them to switch to enviro friendly technologies if they are not simultaneously better/cheaper/faster, we'll be waiting for a while.....
Well done! Enjoyed the music video.
ReplyDeleteGenerations of architects forgot how to work with natural forces due to cheap energy. Now we can go back a few generations and relearn. Funny thing about designing with nature: more beauty, delight and economy.
By the way . . . a good bit of daylighting research here: http://www.h-m-g.com/projects/daylighting/projects-PIER.htm
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