by Christoph Reinhart

Because daylighting is such an important feature of virtually all sustainable buildings and because its quality and quantity are difficult to predict and evaluate through simple rules of thumb, there is a need for daylighting software with a high rate of acceptance and adoption by design professionals.

With a rapidly developing knowledge base, architects rely more than ever on solid performance measures to support their design decisions. Yet many aspects of design compete for the team's attention. In today's competitive environment, the value of information gained through any one simulation tool must be constantly weighed against the time and financial resources required.

To foster the use of daylighting concepts throughout the design of a building, the Lighting Group at the National Research Council Canada (NRC), in partnership with the Buildings Group at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), has developed an online support service called Lightswitch Wizard.

With little investment of time, the Wizard helps architects to design perimeter offices and classrooms with "enough but not too much" annual daylight, and it helps lighting designers assess the energy of lighting and window blind controls.

Addressing Designers' Needs

Lightswitch Wizard users do not require any previous knowledge of daylight simulation techniques because all simulation inputs are explained in the online technical background and the glossary sections.   >>>

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Lightswitch Wizard is a daylighting prediction system from the National Research Council Canada. Image: National Research Council Canada Basic approach of the Lightswitch Wizard. Image: National Research Council Canada   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.