Simulation and Analysis of Light Transmitting Concrete as a Building Envelope in Terms of Daylighting and Electricity Saving

Abstract

Energy consumption is constantly increasing all around the world, and one sector of this great demand is the required electricity for lighting. New approaches in building science pay special attention to indoor environmental quality. Typically, the first thing that is done in this regard in modern architecture is using transparent facades; However, these solutions have many problems; Hence, a new method that can transmit light to improve visual tranquility without sacrificing the thermal insulation of the building envelope is required. One solution that can be given to this issue is using light transmitting concrete as envelopes of buildings.In this study, five specimens of high-performance light transmitting concrete with five optical fiber contents were made, and their performance in terms of daylight and electricity saving have been analyzed based on simulation with Diva for Rhino software. For a better comparison between different studies, the analysis is based on the reference office, which has been used in previous relevant studies. It was found that using this material can result 45.7%, 31.5%, and 38.8% of electricity saving for offices in Tehran, Vancouver, and Phoenix, respectively, and also increase UDI (Useful Daylight Illuminance) by about 44% in Tehran.