CLEARSHADE SKYLIGHTS REDUCE ENERGY BY 89%, OPTIMIZE DAYLIGHTING AT PARRISH ART MUSEUM
Panelite ClearShade skylight glazing was specified by architects Herzog & de Meuron and daylighting engineers ARUP to achieve their goal of providing a naturally daylight environment, similar to that of artists’ studios, for viewing the collection at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, New York. Since most of the galleries’ illuminance comes from skylights, electric light usage is minimized, substantial energy savings are achieved and user experience is enhanced.
NY State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) funded a research project to evaluate the potential energy savings for New York State of ClearShade honeycomb glazing technology. Under the grant, Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute conducted a field study of ClearShade skylights at the Parrish Art Museum.
Both energy savings and user experience were quantified by the LRC team in their DELTA (Demonstration and Evaluation of Lighting Technologies and Applications / Lighting Case Studies) publication.
SUMMARY OF FIELD STUDY FINDINGS
- 81% of the time the museum was open in spring, electric lights were not needed. The remainder of the time electric lights were dimmed from full output. Compared to the museum’s allowable power density, the skylights and use of lighting controls saved 89% in lighting energy.
- Energy savings also resulted in reduced air pollution: 4.6 lbs of SO2, 5.2 lbs of NOx, and 6,219 lbs of CO2.
- 73% of visitors considered the illumination of the Parrish galleries to be better than other museums.
LIGHTING RESEARCH CENTER DELTA PUBLICATION (PDF)
CLEARSHADE IGU: PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Image Credits:
Top Left, Matthu Placek / Top Right, Iwan Baan
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