Daylight Performance of a Translucent Textile Membrane Roof with Thermal Insulation

Abstract

Daylight usage in buildings improves visual comfort and lowers the final energy demand for artificial lighting. The question that always occurs is how much conservation can be achieved? New or rare materials and constructions have a lack of information about their application. Therefore, the current investigation quantifies the daylight and energy performance of a rare multilayer textile membrane roof. A translucent, thermal insulation with a glass fibre fleece between the two roof membranes combines daylight usage and heating demand reduction. A sports hall built in 2017 is used as a case study building with 2300 m 2 membrane roof surface. The optical properties of the roof construction are measured with a total visual light transmittance τv of 0.72 % for a clean surface. A climate-based annual daylight modelling delivers daylight indicators for different construction scenarios. The results show that in comparison to only one glass facade, the additional translucent and thermally insulated membrane roof construction increases the annual daylight autonomy (DA700) from 0 % to 1.5 % and the continuous DA700 from 15% to 38 %. In the roof-covered areas of the sport field, this results in a 30 % reduction of the electricity demand for artificial lighting from 19.7 to 13.8 kWhel/m²/a, when a dimming control is used. The study also found out, that the influence of the soiling of one layer decreases its light transmittance by a factor 0.81. Two soiled layers lower τv by a factor 0.66 to 0.47 %. This increases the electricity demand for lighting by only 12 %. The results should be very valuable as a comparison and benchmark for planners and future buildings of a similar type.

Evaluation of the Existing Solar Energy and Rainwater Potential in the Total Roof Area of Buildings: Izmit District Example

“…erefore, providing solutions towards the efficient use of daylight and decreasing lighting energy consumption has become an important issue in today's world. e use of daylight in buildings increases visual comfort and decreases ultimate energy demand for artificial lighting [46]. With the energy saving methods that are applied to the lighting systems of buildings, energy Advances in Materials Science and Engineering consumption decreases considerably [47,48].…”