How to Create Natural Lighting
Daylighting techniques have the potential to reduce energy costs considerably by illuminating indoor spaces with natural light. You can create natural lighting by working with windows, a homemade floor plan and a little ingenuity. A few creative ideas contribute to natural lighting on a small budget. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Compass
- Paint
- Lampshades
- Window treatments
- CFL light bulbs
- Paper
- Pencil
Instructions
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Know your building's orientation. Using a compass, find out what direction your windows face, the amount of light that comes in and what difference the light makes for the use of the room. Where the sun is can make all the difference. (See References 1)
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Take a piece of paper and draw a simple schematic of where your windows are and what direction they face. Watch how the light illuminates each room and for how long. Decide if the light is comfortable for the use of the room. Beware of glare and heat gain throughout the day. Mark up your floor plan to get the results you want from natural lighting. (See References 2)
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3
Consider the relationship between light from a particular window direction and window treatments. (See Resources 1) Maximize the desired light for reading, cooking, or other work by moving furniture to fit the task with natural light in mind. Make turning on your lights the last thing you want to do. (See References 1)
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Think about what you want from your window light. Where you live generates the climate, which produces the light or lack of light. Decide when you want your electric lights on and off. Stick to the plan (See References 1)
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Paint walls light colors so that outdoor light reflects back into the room. Dark colors absorb light. (See References 3)
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Select light-colored or translucent lampshades to get the biggest bang for your buck. Add compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) directed to any tasks performed in the room. Decide if you how many artificial light sources you need to increase use of natural light. (See References 3)
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Tips & Warnings
Cold north light that artists prefer presents consistent clear light. East facing windows are best in the morning. They usually have a comfortable, bright light. The west side is the bright end of the day. It can be overly warm. South facing windows are full-blown light factories, so to speak. The light does not leave this side until sundown. (See Resources 1) Building orientation is important to know. Windows sited off the perfect orthogonal relationship to the sun offer variable lighting. Northeast and northwest have different light conditions, and so on. (See References 1) One 20-watt CFL provides the same amount of light as a 75-watt incandescent light bulb. It also lasts up to seven times longer. (See References 3)
