A dynamic performance analysis of passive sunlight control strategies in a neonatal intensive care unit

Abstract

Neonatal intensive care units are a special lighting design challenge. Although natural light is highly desirable, it should be carefully planned to maximise benefits and minimise the problems associated with uncontrolled sunlight. This paper discusses the performance of different passive sunlight control strategies in a neonatal intensive care unit at the Dr. Humberto Notti Children's Hospital in Mendoza, Argentina, analysing their annual daylight behaviour through dynamic daylight simulations. The aim of this work is to optimise the use of daylight in neonatal intensive care units, considering the special lighting conditions required. Results show that, in this case study, the adequate implementation of solar control systems and the appropriate layout of the space for different uses according to surrounding building design and the characteristics of the local luminous climate can increase the useful daylight illuminance by up to 13%, while avoiding the incidence of direct sunlight at all times.

Heat transfer through window frames in EnergyPlus: model evaluation and improvement

“…Buildings account for a third of final energy use worldwide. Originally driven by the rise of energy costs, building design and technologies improvements now fall under a more holistic approach, which includes environmental concerns, financial feasibility and considerations of user's indoor comfort and health (Bonomo, Frontini, De Berardinis, & Donsante, 2017;Cappelletti, Prada, Romagnoni, & Gasparella, 2014;Giama & Papadopoulos, 2012;Granzotto et al, 2017;Hauge, Thomsen, & Berker, 2011;Papadopoulos, 2007;Villalba, Monteoliva, Rodríguez, & Pattini, 2016).…”

Comparison of daylighting simulation workflows and results using plugins for BIM and 3D Modeling programs: application on early phases of design process

“…From this plug-in, it is possible to analyze the performance of different design options without manually exporting the architectural model to another software. International researches have been using DIVA for daylighting and energy consumption studies (Sharma et al 2017, Tabadkan et al 2018and Villalba et al, 2018. DIVA was initially developed at the Graduate School of Harvard University and is now distributed and developed by Solemma LLC.…”

“…In the search for a better distribution of daylight in laterally daylit rooms, light redistribution elements such as light shelves and daylight harvesting louvers have been widely studied (Berardi et al 2018, Villalba et al 2018and Tabadkan et al 2018. This article aims then to investigate the plugin Insight, focusing on its application on daylighting simulations analysis during the early phases of a design process.…”