Decarbonizing Daylight: Balancing Comfort and Sustainability in Buildings

When illuminating a home, most people only focus on choosing between ambient or task lighting to change the environment. Those choices can drastically change how comfortable a space feels. However, it’s important to balance those goals with sustainability objectives. Decarbonizing daylight is a great medium to achieve both aims. 

What Is the Concept of Decarbonization?

Decarbonization is a term that refers to reducing greenhouse gases from fossil fuel combustion. Most people associate it with carbon absorption efforts like carbon capture and storage technologies. However, it can also easily point toward the simple prevention of emissions in the first place. Most carbon dioxide and methane stem from power generation, industry sectors, and transportation lines. Buildings are also vital contributors that require transformation to achieve net zero.  

Is Decarbonization Good or Bad?

Decarbonization is good for the environment, as it focuses on stabilizing or even lowering the Earth’s carbon levels. It is a necessary procedure for healing the environment. The United States currently has insufficient decarbonization efforts, but it’s only more reason to invest. Builders and other construction professionals need to advocate for it.

What Is the Process of Decarbonizing Lighting?

Lighting is a significant aspect of buildings that requires decarbonizing. It’s present in almost any residential and commercial space, so it would be revolutionary to change things up in this department. Here are the key steps to decarbonizing lighting. 

1. Focusing on Providing Daylight

Daylighting is one of the main ways to decarbonize lighting within buildings. Artificial bulbs and other sources require too much energy, inevitably producing carbon emissions. Sunlight is a chance to deviate from those options. Exposure to natural lighting is also associated with better emotional well-being and good eye health. 

Windows come in very versatile styles, from an awning opening to a casement one. A skylight is also great for direct lighting. Aside from brightening up the room, the installation can improve overall ventilation in the long run. These are especially useful in bathrooms and kitchens since they create warm air and condensation. 

2. Upgrading Lighting Systems

Improving lighting choices in a building can also improve overall decarbonization. Energy Star-certified LED lights utilize around 75% less energy than incandescent lighting. As they use less energy, they also create fewer emissions. Applying these to the beginning of a building’s design and construction is also ideal. 

3. Investing in Energy-Efficient Power Sources

Electrical lighting is always necessary, especially at night when daylight isn’t available. One way to decarbonize this equipment is to utilize energy-efficient power sources. Renewable energy, such as solar or wind energy, can be stored and used to switch on the bulbs when darkness comes. 

How Do You Decarbonize Daylight?

While daylighting is inherently helpful in lowering carbon emissions, there are still areas that affect its carbon levels. Here are potential steps for decarbonizing daylight. 

1. Improving Fenestration

Daylight provisions introduce natural light sources into buildings. The meticulous additions of these openings also impact the overall carbon emissions. For instance, arranging openings in private quarters should provide enough privacy while bringing in sunlight. 

Fenestration also needs to include the proportioning and design of the windows in a building. Too big of an opening may invite too much solar heat, requiring cooling systems to work overtime and inevitably increasing carbon emissions. 

2. Honing Thermal Performance

Thermal performance is also another aspect to focus on when decarbonizing daylight. The sun emits plenty of heat. While advantageous during winter, it can increase the load on the HVAC system during the summer months.

Aside from the seasons, the general climate should also be considered. Some states experience hot weather all year round. Daylighting should not come at the cost of destabilizing thermal control and inadvertently increasing carbon emissions. 

3. Adding Glare Control

Allowing sunlight into the home helps people save on electrical light usage. However, there are times when too much direct sunlight is unnecessary or straining. It can also fade furniture and other materials in the home. 

Adding glare control is a great way to decarbonize natural lighting. Window blinds lessen pressure on heating and cooling systems by controlling the exposure time or amount. Adding a layer of window film can also tint and soften the lights while protecting the interior from UV rays.

4. Minimizing Embodied Emissions

The integration of daylight into buildings is already an act of decarbonization. However, it’s essential to be conscious of the embodied emissions associated with these installations. Materials are necessary to create these openings, and their manufacturing or transportation can create carbon emissions.

Decisiveness with materials and processes can assist with this objective. For instance, wooden window frames contribute less than 30% of embodied impacts. Directly adding windows to a building design rather than waiting for additions can also stabilize carbon levels and avoid destructive damage from the get-go.

Achieving Decarbonized Daylight

Figuring out how to decarbonize daylight takes time and knowledge. Nevertheless, it’s truly a necessary step in improving building efficiency and sustainability. Builders and other professionals within the sector must recognize its contribution toward green construction.