Daylighting high-density residential buildings with light redirecting panels

Abstract

This paper describes the use of light redirecting panels to improve the daylighting inside highly obstructed rooms at the lower levels of high-density residential developments in dense cities such as Hong Kong. Light redirecting panels are described and a simple design rule for the application of panels to highly obstructed windows, panel tilt angle-one half the obstruction angle, is derived. Scale model measurements demonstrate redirecting panels improve daylight factors by up to three times before discomfort glare becomes a limitation. Average ratio of daylight factors is a more useful measure of improved daylighting than the conventionally used average daylight factor.