Designing an energy efficient building that incorporates effective daylighting features, is a complex and demanding task. One must learn to appropriately use new innovative materials, components and systems to simultaneously improve the visual comfort and the thermal and energetic performance of a building.
Due to insufficient standards and guidelines for daylighting throughout the world (e.g. [2]), building designers are left without suitable design tools to assist them in their challenging task of designing a building distinguished by its rational use of energy and daylighting. Considering the importance of a comprehensive approach to energy utilization, there is a strong need for a design tool capable of fulfilling several tasks, namely to:
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is coordinating international research activities in the field of "Building Energy Analysis Tools", namely the development, enhancement and validation of selected daylighting programs as well as their connection with detailed, dynamic thermal and energetic building simulation programs. Involved in the development of design tools have been:
The principal aim of developing such design tools is to address the effects of daylighting on the energy performance of buildings at very early stages of the design process so as to avoid inappropriate design decisions, thereby enabling architects, builders and energy specialists to construct energy-efficient buildings.
The ADELINE system provides the tools necessary to expand the design process as demonstrated in this example.
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