Sun, sky brightness, and glow: Making the most of daylight [AIA course]

To some project teams, “daylighting” means using glass area to admit direct sunlight, period. Yet there are better approaches to illuminating building interiors. Often, the sun’s direct rays are the last thing you need for effective daylighting. 

Sunlight comes with high solar heat gain—measured as solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) for various types of glazing and translucent materials—and can lead to glare, occupant thermal discomfort, and material degradation caused by ultraviolet (UV) light.