Influence of Internal Courtyards on the Energy Load and Hours of Illuminance in Row Houses in Toronto

Abstract

Natural daylight is desirable in locations where winter days are short. With narrow front and long depth, interiors of row houses tend to be dark, as natural light cannot penetrate to the central portion of the house. This study examines the potential benefits and drawbacks of internal courtyards in houses in the cold climate and the implications of such design on the energy performance and natural light, while creating better space quality and adding to occupants’ delight, health and wellbeing. Focused in a Toronto setting, the main goals of this research project are to understand variables that affect the energy performance of row houses with internal courtyards, the influence of an internal courtyard in the hours of illuminance and to develop performance and design information applied for new construction and retrofits of existing row houses. The simulations showed that the window to wall ratio doesn’t have major influence on the hours of daylight inside the house. The main results also show significant improvement of the hours of illuminance in the interior, with higher increases in the shorter days of the year when light is more needed.