What do you think of when you hear the word shopping? Do large buildings with a variety of stores pop up? Does your mind conjure up images of markets stuffed with food? Stop a moment. Think of your last shopping experience – at the mall, grocery store, wherever. What did the building look like? Was it closed in with no windows? Probably. Retail spaces are often designed for maximum usage. Walls are used to house shelves or racks for products. Ceilings are chock full of buzzing fluorescent lights. But recent research suggests that this setting is harmful – most stores would benefit from a proper daylighting strategy.
Energy Efficient
Glass makes for great outdoor views, whether it is falling snow or summer fun. Unfortunately, windows made with old, inefficient glass can make you pay for those views, allowing up to 30 percent of the furnace heat or air-conditioning you pay for to escape from your home. That is literally like throwing money out the window!
Daylighting is the process of optimizing the natural light coming into a building. Whether in a home or office, a daylighting system incorporates windows, skylights, and advanced lighting controls to reduce the use of artificial lighting and energy consumption.