| Skylighting Resources
SkyCalc 2.0 ®:
Skylighting Tool
Quick & easy
solutions for designers!
 Skylights can
save a great deal of energy – as long as they are sized correctly, and
as long as appropriate controls for electric lights are used in
conjunction with skylights. An undersized skylighting system cannot
justify the cost of lighting controls and never attains the pleasing
visual effect of a well-daylit space. Similarly, an oversized
skylighting system allows too much solar heat into the space and lets
too much heat escape on cold winter nights.
SkyCalc 2.0® is a free,
simple computer tool that helps building designers determine the optimum
skylighting strategy that will achieve maximum lighting and HVAC energy
savings for a building. This program is a Microsoft Excel™ spreadsheet
application that runs on a personal computer.
SkyCalc 2.0® uses simple data
inputs (either common defaults or user-supplied data) to describe a
building and analyze possible skylighting strategies. It calculates the
lighting and whole-building energy impacts of each design, and produces
graphs and charts that describe annual energy-use patterns.
SkyCalc 2.0® does hour by hour analysis, using the DOE 2.1
simulation program as a pre-processor, and Typical Meterological Year (TMY)
weather data.
A new feature for version 2.0 is an
energy savings estimate for maintaining photo controls. This can be used
to inform building staff on the value of maintaining the photo control
system or as energy cost savings estimating tool for installing photo
control systems on skylit buildings that do not have an operating photo
control system.
The current version of SkyCalc 2.0®
comes with weather data for 48 locations in the USA . This project
has been funded by Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas and Electric,
and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance. SkyCalc 2.0®
should be used in conjunction with the Skylighting Guidelines to help
designers select the best skylighting system for a given
building. The Skylighting Guidelines is a 100 page document
with information for designers and specifiers interested in using
commercial skylights. The Skylighting Guidelines are available at the
Energy Design Resources website at:
http://www.energydesignresources.com
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