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Balancing act: A study of daylighting and thermal performance in Ithaca, New York

  • Caitlin Stansell
  • , Kristen DiStefano
  • , Renee Millett
  • , Merrill Ballantyne
  • , Yuka Terada
  • , Nicholas Rajkovich
  • Cornell University

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

The mission of EcoVillage, a co-housing community in Ithaca, New York, is to "create a laboratory for sustainable living that integrates environmental technologies with the latest in socially innovative housing." With this mission in mind, four undergraduate students and one graduate student from Cornell University's Department of Architecture conducted a case study of daylight distribution and thermal comfort in the EcoVillage common house, a passive solar building reserved for cooking, dining, and meetings. In two distinct case studies, student teams hypothesized that: 1. The dining and living areas of the common house do not achieve a daylight factor of 2% on an overcast day. 2. There is a 5-degree temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling on cold days, resulting in greater conductive heat loss at the ceiling of the Common House. To test their hypotheses, the student teams used a daylighting model to simulate the daylight in the space, and also employed datalogging equipment to measure the physical space over a period of normal use. The results of the daylighting study showed that there was greater than a 2% daylight factor on an overcast day, however the distribution of light in the space did not support critical visual tasks in the common house. The results of the heat loss study showed that there was less stratification in the space than expected, primarily due to the use of an in floor radiant system.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the Solar World Congress 2005
Subtitle of host publicationBringing Water to the World, Including Proceedings of 34th ASES Annual Conference and Proceedings of 30th National Passive Solar Conference
Pages517-522
Number of pages6
StatePublished - 2005
EventSolar World Congress 2005: Bringing Water to the World, Including 34th ASES Annual Conference and 30th National Passive Solar Conference - Orlando, FL, United States
Duration: Aug 6 2005Aug 12 2005

Publication series

NameProceedings of the Solar World Congress 2005: Bringing Water to the World, Including Proceedings of 34th ASES Annual Conference and Proceedings of 30th National Passive Solar Conference
Volume1

Conference

ConferenceSolar World Congress 2005: Bringing Water to the World, Including 34th ASES Annual Conference and 30th National Passive Solar Conference
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityOrlando, FL
Period08/6/0508/12/05

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