In order to ensure that daylit buildings will become the preferred option in this millennium, it is necessary to optimise energy savings by taking into account the integration of daylighting, control systems and occupant response and transferring this new research to design professionals and industry. Currently only a small fraction of daylighting possibilities is being captured in buildings and many are beset with problems. There are failures of supposedly well-designed systems to achieve their expected performance due to a lack of consideration of integration issues such as the incompatibility of daylighting systems and control systems. There are adverse reactions to discomfort glare from daylight, poor use of ceiling and wall materials, and poorly designed daylighting systems that can generate strong luminance contrasts causing glare. These can result in visual discomfort, the pulling down of blinds and the reduction of daylight usage.

These problems cannot be solved by the architectural or engineering professions on their own, as these are fundamentally integration issues. Without an integrated approach the potential savings from daylighting and control systems will not be realised.

North facade of Bang & Olufsen Headquarter, Denmark. B&O’s building is an energy efficient building with good daylight. It is naturally ventilated, and only the north facade is “completely” glazed. © Steen Traberg-Borup, The Danish Building and Urban Research.