USE OF DAYLIGHTING STRATEGIES FOR LIGHTING ENERGY COST REDUCTION IN A METROPOLITAN LIBRARY DESIGN

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Author

Presented To

Department of Environmental Design

ABSTRACT
The study focuses on the provision of adequate daylight in buildings to reduce over dependence on electrical energy for the artificial lighting. The lack of careful light design in a building therefore renders it close to useless as the supposed use becomes difficult in the absence of light at activity areas. Three libraries were studied using Building information modeling (BIM) - Autodesk Revit 2014, Autodesk Ecotect 2011 to design for daylight in library and to analyze Daylight Illuminance level, Daylight Factor (DF) and daylight autonomy. The major factor considered in this study is the level of illumination on the work plane in the interior of the building, the area of the windows and the area floor of the spaces. The Strategies for admitting daylight were investigated to discover how building design can intelligently adopt the most energy efficient Daylighting for the library. The data collected were presented using tables, figures, graphs and plates. Findings illustrate that two libraries studied had low natural lighting which were below 500 lux, Dark zones in the building are apparent during power outages. The third case had a good average illumination value of 500 lux at most reading areas. Some recommendations from the research includes remodeling sections of the building to allow for natural lighting and installation of roller shade blinds which can be easily controlled for optimum light penetration. Also design for buildings should go beyond provision of spaces for activity, but must adequately consider energy efficiency and the science of usability as part of the whole process in a buildings existence. The use of advanced building materials (smart materials) should be encouraged to achieve needed reading environment. These edifices should also serve as venues for plays, recreational purposes, conferencing, educational and commercial activities.