2017 - Daylight Symposium
“Windows and roof tops for our well-being: their contribution to the value...” by Marc Fontoynont
Speakers
Marc Fontoynont
Professor
Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg University
Lecture from the 7th VELUX Daylight Symposium “Healthy & climate-friendly architecture– from knowledge to practice” that took place in Berlin on 3-4 May 2017. For more information visit http://thedaylightsite.com
We are all convinced about the importance of bringing daylight and sunlight into buildings, as well as to provide views to the outside. But installing window components in a building envelope has its own cost: investment, installation, and maintenance. We found it interesting to compare the typical costs allocated to daylighting with other investments, mostly in domains which affect our health and well being. And to assess how they contribute to the value proposal of indoor spaces.
In a first phase, we present data dealing with typical costs (Total Cost of Ownership) associated to various lighting options in residential and non residential buildings and compare them with other possible investments associated to human comfort, health and well-being such as furniture, balconies, bathrooms, kitchen, air conditioning, lighting products, etc. The objective of this comparison is to improve understanding of the budgets which are typically allocated to daylighting, and to facilitate possible choices concerning investments related to human well-being in buildings.
In a second phase, we present the results of some interviews of market actors and real estate agents demonstrating how investments in daylight can have a positive impact on sales or rentals of residential buildings and houses. This allows us to identify possible financial benefits of daylighting solutions on the market. In a third phase, we analyze the results of the two phases, and compare the value proposals of various options, in new constructions as well as during renovation.
This study is a contribution to raise interest on daylighting strategies among investors, beyond state of the art solutions. Marc Fontoynont is Professor at Danish Buidling Research Institute, Aalborg University in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is currently running research on perception of lighting quality, energy efficiency and models of Total Cost of Ownership of lighting systems. He has been working until 2011 at ENTPE/CNRS, Lyon France. He is involved in CIE activities, European funded research projects and programmes from the International Energy Agency. He is currently the convener of TC169/ WG11 addressing daylight in buildings.
