The Case for Multicriteria Annual Sunlight Exposure Guidelines

This paper explored the effects of the current Annual Sunlight Exposure (ASE1000 lux, 250 hours) requirements on energy consumption and thermal comfort in an office space in five cities representing different U.S. climates. Specifically, the goal was to show the extent to which the current ASE metric requirements may be adjusted allowing for more/ less annual sunlight exposure to address climatic differences, energy, and thermal comfort criteria. A south-facing perimeter office space was simulated in the five climates to assess differences in energy and thermal comfort between the current ASE requirements and best-case scenarios. The results highlight the need to incorporate thermal comfort and energy as primary criteria informing target ASE requirements and guidelines. Developing a multicriteria ASE metric has potentials to greatly reduce energy use and improve thermal comfort in offices.