Daylighting Performance of Solar Control Films for Hospital Buildings in a Mediterranean Climate

Ángel León-Rodríguez,Rafael Suárez,Carmen Calama-González

doi:10.3390/en12030489

Abstract

One of the main retrofitting strategies in warm climates is the reduction of the effects of solar radiation. Cooling loads, and in turn, cooling consumption, can be reduced through the implementation of reflective materials such as solar control films. However, these devices may also negatively affect daylight illuminance conditions and the electric consumption of artificial lighting systems. In a hospital building, it is crucial to meet daylighting requirements as well as indoor illuminance levels and visibility from the inside, as these have a significant impact on health outcomes. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the influence on natural illuminance conditions of a solar control film installed on the windows of a public hospital building in a Mediterranean climate. To this end, a hospital room, with and without solar film, was monitored for a whole year. A descriptive statistical analysis was conducted on the use of artificial lighting, illuminance levels and rolling shutter aperture levels, as well as an analysis of natural illuminance and electric consumption of the artificial lighting system. The addition of a solar control film to the external surface of the window, in combination with the user-controlled rolling shutter aperture levels, has reduced the electric consumption of the artificial lighting system by 12.2%. Likewise, the solar control film has increased the percentage of annual hours with natural illuminance levels by 100–300 lux.

Highlights

The Kyoto Protocol [1] established a long-term strategy to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions in buildings by 20% when compared to 1990, among others
This paper assesses the influence of a solar protection film installed on the outer surface of a window of a hospital building in southern Spain (Mediterranean climate)
A room was monitored during three distinct seasonal periods under real use conditions. This analysis was divided into two phases: (1) the room was monitored with no solar film on the glazed surface and (2) the room was monitored after a solar protection film was added

Summary

Introduction

The Kyoto Protocol [1] established a long-term strategy to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions in buildings by 20% when compared to 1990, among others. In order to combat and mitigate the effects of global warning, the European Commission has presented a strategy to reduce heating and cooling energy in the residential and service sectors [4], with the long-term objective of decarbonising the building stock by. Priority should be given to hospital buildings, which account for 7% of the building area in EU27 countries, together with Norway and Switzerland, as well as for the consumption of 10% of final energy use in non- residential buildings in Europe [6]. According to Papadopoulos [7], the energy demand of hospital buildings is among the highest for non-residential buildings. In Spanish hospitals, the average annual energy consumption is around 20% of the total consumption in the tertiary sector [8]

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