Non-visual daylight potential in offices: a parametric study

Abstract

A building design where appropriate daylighting is considered from early stages can enhance the building’s energy performance, as well as human well-being and productivity. Daylight naturally regulates our daily biological clock, which synchronizes our circadian rhythms. This paper presents a simulation-based parametric study to evaluate the non-visual daylight potential. A side-lit single office room in the Danish climate was simulated in Grasshopper 3D. Using the Lark plug-in, grid-based and image-based workflows were created to generate illuminance, circadian light and Equivalent Melanopic Lux. In this study we compared two design cases with extremely high and low thermal and daylighting conditions. The impact of orientation on the circadian rhythms of a sitting person with a pre-defined view-direction under an overcast and a clear sky was investigated. The results indicate that certain design combinations can minimize daylight access up to three times leading to a higher risk of circadian disruption. These disruptions were the highest in winter and under the overcast sky. No clear impact of the building-orientation on the circadian stimulation for the defined view-direction was observed. Hence, it is essential that the view-direction is set optimally. Evaluating circadian response in early phases can lead to inclusive decision-making for enhanced indoor conditions.