2008 Woodie Awards
UCF uses sunlight to decrease costs
Jonathan Hohensee
Issue date: 10/24/08 Section: News
The UCF Department of Sustainability and Energy Management has implemented a new energy-saving program called daylight harvesting, and just in time for the fall season.
Daylight harvesting is a method of energy conservation in which lights are turned off during the daytime, taking advantage of the natural light that flows into a building. It is most often used in buildings that have a large amount of natural light flowing through it, particularly the newer glass-walled buildings, where the use of artificial lighting would be redundant during the day.
"It's unused light," David Norvell, the director of UCF's Department of Sustainability and Energy Management, said. "There is natural light coming in through the big glazing that the architects have put in through the building, so why not use the natural light instead of having both natural and artificial lighting going simultaneously?"
The Department of Sustainability and Energy Management attempts to lower the amount of energy used on campus through both the implication of energy-efficient programs and through the education of both faculty and students about steps that can be made to help the university become more energy-efficient.
Norvell explained that programs such as daylight harvesting are essential during the poor state of the current economy.
"As the budget crush gets worse and worse on the state, we are looking for more and more aggressive ways to save energy," Norvell said.
Although the concept of daylight harvesting has been around for nearly 10 years, 2008 marks the first time such a program has been attempted on the UCF campus.
Due to variations in architectural design, not every building at UCF is optimal for the daylight harvesting program.
Buildings with large atriums and a large amount of solar gain going through the glass are the ones that are most likely to benefit from the program. So far, the daylight harvesting program has been tested out at the Health and Public Affairs, Psychology and Teaching Academy buildings, Colburn Hall and the Harris Corporation Engineering Center.
Daylight harvesting is a method of energy conservation in which lights are turned off during the daytime, taking advantage of the natural light that flows into a building. It is most often used in buildings that have a large amount of natural light flowing through it, particularly the newer glass-walled buildings, where the use of artificial lighting would be redundant during the day.
"It's unused light," David Norvell, the director of UCF's Department of Sustainability and Energy Management, said. "There is natural light coming in through the big glazing that the architects have put in through the building, so why not use the natural light instead of having both natural and artificial lighting going simultaneously?"
The Department of Sustainability and Energy Management attempts to lower the amount of energy used on campus through both the implication of energy-efficient programs and through the education of both faculty and students about steps that can be made to help the university become more energy-efficient.
Norvell explained that programs such as daylight harvesting are essential during the poor state of the current economy.
"As the budget crush gets worse and worse on the state, we are looking for more and more aggressive ways to save energy," Norvell said.
Although the concept of daylight harvesting has been around for nearly 10 years, 2008 marks the first time such a program has been attempted on the UCF campus.
Due to variations in architectural design, not every building at UCF is optimal for the daylight harvesting program.
Buildings with large atriums and a large amount of solar gain going through the glass are the ones that are most likely to benefit from the program. So far, the daylight harvesting program has been tested out at the Health and Public Affairs, Psychology and Teaching Academy buildings, Colburn Hall and the Harris Corporation Engineering Center.
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