The GIF Lumière has therefore undertaken to contribute to this development by carrying out a reflection both practical and theoretical. In order to allow professionals to better understand and master the challenges of natural lighting, to design less energy-consuming buildings, and comfortable spaces for occupants, the GIF - Grouping of Manufacturers and Manufacturers-Installers of fire-resistant equipment and evacuation - publishes, in collaboration with ADEME and the Lighting Syndicate, a unique guide on the practices of a good installation promoting natural lighting.
A guide for all players in the construction industry
This guide, intended for building owners and project managers, is a tool to assist in the design and choice of installation solutions using natural overhead lighting.
Before the publication of the GIF LUMIERE guide, no summary of studies, regulations and solutions specific to overhead lighting existed. It became all the more urgent to respond to this lack, as the increasing load of environmental requirements today places natural light as an essential determining lever of energy performance. In fact, the thermal regulations of 2012 require new buildings to have a minimum area of bay windows: 1 / 6th of the construction, or approximately 17% of the building.
First, the book discusses the benefits of natural light, discussed and illustrated in more depth, for 6 good reasons to use natural lighting in buildings:
Light is health!
The lack of light has an impact on the biological cycle of living beings (physiological impact), and the lack of exposure to daylight can cause depression, sleep disorders and digestive disorders, irritability (psychic impact) ... Natural light conditions our well-being. Evolving in a sufficiently and naturally lit room during the day improves our health.
Light is safety at work!
Recent research carried out in Germany has shown a 50% reduction in accidents at work when the level of natural light goes from 500 to 2000 Lux: good light makes it possible to perform complex and meticulous tasks by improving working conditions. vision and limiting fatigue, one of the primary causes of work accidents. In addition, employees enjoying a good level of natural light are less subject to seasonal depressions, psychological fatigue and stress.
Light is a factor of economic performance!
Other studies show natural light as a factor of economic performance: when the level of lighting changes from 300 to 500 Lux, the level of waste decreases from 3 to 8% and the efficiency in the execution of tasks progresses by 3 to 6%, depending on the type of tasks performed.
Light is about protecting the environment!
It seems essential to design buildings in optimal harmony with their environment. This approach places the climate among the fundamental dimensions of architecture, and makes the use of natural light, a factor of ecology superior to artificial light.
Light saves energy!
The first source of lighting for millennia, natural light is free energy! The use of artificial lighting, more or less large consumer of electricity, is therefore to moderate and to control in the buildings.
Good natural lighting, adequate light control and efficient maintenance lead to a considerable reduction in the total energy consumption of a building. Office lighting loads can be reduced by 30 to 50% by using appropriate light control systems.
Finally light gives relief to buildings and volumes!
Then, the guide discusses the different sources of natural lighting: whether lateral or overhead, natural lighting always offers a solution. Bay windows and light facades are the lateral filler solutions on the facade, where the overhead filler solutions are available in: roof windows, point skylights for flat roofs or continuous skylights (vaults, canopies, sheds, etc.) or wells light.
The guide also presents the keys to a good installation. In accordance with French standards linked to RT 2012 but also European standards (in particular standard EN 17037), the guide reveals each step for a good installation by delivering the necessary recommendations based on the latest studies and regulations.
It also delivers the essential but precise essentials of regulatory texts, standards and labels (HQE standards and repositories). And presents a precise assessment, as for the energy impact of natural lighting which makes it possible to learn "how to achieve energy savings with natural light? », To obtain an energy balance by Dynamic Thermal Simulation, or to know the eligibility of the overhead lighting skylight to EWCs, and this, by practical illustrations.
At the end of this study, the results recorded show that the return on investment times are of the order of:
- 2 to 4 years for air-conditioned shops
- from 6 years for industrial premises.
Another observation, in functional buildings, the perfect use of daylight saves up to 75% of lighting energy.
To complement natural lighting, the GIF Lumière Guide presents the management of artificial lighting as essential and complementary. It provides ideas for designing an efficient system which consists above all in a coherent assembly of high-performance devices such as LED lamps and modules, metal halide lamps, fluorescent tubes, etc. and a lighting control system optimizing the time of use and the quantity of artificial light facing the real needs of the users.