The Use of the Solar Radiation to Lower Consumption of the Electric Power for Lighting in Buildings

Abstract

The solar radiation is a commonly available source of renewable energy. This means that the use of energy of this type does not reduce its resources. The light plays a very important role in buildings. This factor ensures the comfort of use and staying in rooms, and has a beneficial influence on people’s mood and productivity. To achieve a higher energy efficiency of buildings, the solar radiation is most commonly used to produce hot water and electricity. Studies show that significant savings in energy consumption can also be achieved by appropriate control of lighting in rooms with access to the daylight. The solar energy is commonly used to produce electricity, which then can be used to power, e.g., air conditioning devices. The solar radiation resources are large enough to significantly reduce energy consumption at facilities. In some cases, systems using energy of the solar radiation can be used to ensure a complete energetic autonomy of a facility by covering its total demand for electricity. This article discusses issues related to the energy efficiency of buildings and the use of the solar energy to reduce the consumption of final energy—heat and electricity. A particular attention was paid to possibilities for savings in electricity consumption for lighting by appropriate control of lighting using daylight.