Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Samira Ghorbani ¹
• Masoud Taheri Shahraeini ²
• Mostafa Mohajerani ²

¹ Shahrood University of Technology

² Faculty of Architectural Engineering & Urbanism, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran

Abstract

Daylight serves as a fundamental element in the design of sustainable buildings, significantly contributing to energy efficiency and occupant visual comfort. However, the uncontrolled penetration of natural light may result in issues such as glare and uneven daylight distribution within interior spaces. An effective approach to daylight management involves utilizing light shelves, which enhance interior daylight penetration while mitigating excessive brightness near windows. This study examines the impact of light shelves on daylight distribution improvement through simulations conducted with the Ladybug plugin within the Grasshopper plugin, integrated into the Rhino modeling software. In this process, the building model was developed under specific climatic conditions, and key light shelf parameters, including depth, angle, and surface reflectivity, were evaluated. The analysis was carried out based on illuminance metrics. Among the nine measurement points, the three terminal points in the darkest areas were selected to assess the performance of the light shelf in improving daylight distribution. This study focused on evaluating the improvement in daylight levels achieved by the selected light shelf scenario at these points and the average illuminance of the rear work surfaces that required enhancement on December 21 and June 21. As a result, the implementation of light shelves in the targeted studio contributed to a 22%–30% enhancement in daylight availability.

Keywords

• Light Shelf
• Educational Space
• Lighting Assessment
• Illuminance
• Daylight Simulation

Main Subjects

• Systems with Low Energy Consumption