Research Papers

  
     

 

  
Energy Performance of Daylit Schools in North Carolina
Mike Nicklas & Gary Bailey - 1996

ABSTRACT
The study analyzes the energy performance and cost of daylit schools designed by Innovative Design in Johnston County, North Carolina. The analysis compares the first-year energy performances of the Clayton and Selma Middle Schools and the K-5 Four Oaks School with similar but non-daylit schools in the County. The two daylit middle schools were completed in the spring of 1993 and the comparison year was July of 1993 through June of 1994. The Four Oaks School was completed in August of 1990 and the first year of collected data was 1991-92.

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Analysis of the Performance of Students in Daylit Schools
Mike Nicklas & Gary Bailey - 1996

ABSTRACT
The conclusions of a recent research project on the impacts of full-spectrum light on student performance and health prompted us to investigate the performance of students attending three daylit schools that were designed by our firm. The 1992 "Study into the Effects of Light on Children of Elementary School Age: A Case of Daylight Robbery" was conducted in Alberta, Canada by the Policy and Planning Branch of Alberta Education. Over a two year period, the study compared children attending elementary schools with full-spectrum light versus children attending similar schools with normal lighting conditions.

  • The most striking conclusions of this study were:
  • the students in full-spectrum light were healthier and attended school 3.2 to 3.8 days more per year;
  • libraries with superior light resulted in significantly lower noise levels;
  • full-spectrum lighting induced more positive moods in students;
  • and because of the additional vitamin D received by the students in full-spectrum light, they had 9 times less dental decay and grew in height an average of 2.1 cm more (over the two year period) than students attending schools with average light.

Our analysis investigates the relationships between elementary and middle school student performance and natural daylighting. The performance of students attending three daylit schools designed by Innovative Design for Johnston County Schools, North Carolina was analyzed and compared to the County school system as a whole and other new schools within the same County. The first daylit school, completed in August of 1990, was the Four Oaks Elementary School. The Clayton Middle School and the Selma Middle School were very similar in design; both were developed around a daylit prototype design and constructed in the spring of 1993.

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Solar Factory of the Future – Springer Carrier, Canoas, Brazil
Mike Nicklas & Jon Zubizarreta - 2001

ABSTRACT
The objective of Springer-Carrier’s Corporation in Brazil was to transform their existing facility in Canoas, PortoAllegre into a prototype “Factory of the Future”. Carrier’s goals were to increase productivity and reduce energy costs while minimizing initial investment costs transforming the factory into a world class facility, showcasing the best technologies and approaches for creating a superior work environment. These objectives were to be achieved by:
  • implementing superior natural daylighting solutions;
  • improving indoor air quality;
  • providing solar driven air conditioning; and
  • increasing the reliability of electrical power required to efficiently operate the facility.

By implementing this strategy, it is to be demonstrated that:

  • the impact of rapidly rising utility costs can be contained;
  • the factory owner would be in a positive cash flow situation; and
  • by addressing energy and productivity, production costs would be greatly reduced

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A High Performance School Case Study - Northern Guilford Middle School
Bae-Won Koh & Mike Nicklas - 2007

ABSTRACT
Northern Guilford Middle School in Greensboro, North Carolina is an excellent example of the commitment to promoting sustainable design.
The school features a comprehensive and well-integrated set of green strategies that include:

  • A holistic water cycle approach (rainwater for toilet flushing to the Living Machine™ to underground irrigation to the aquifer) coupled with
    bio-swales and wetlands;
  • A new daylighting design that has never been implemented in any facility;
  • Indirect lighting with photocells and occupancy sensors;
  • Energy-efficient building shell;
  • Underfloor air distribution system;
  • Solar water heating and photovoltaic systems;
  • Recycled materials and use of local products;
  • Indoor environmental quality management;
  • 3-D experiential learning centers linking curriculum to sustainable design features; and
  • The 70 million year old Nicklas Mosasaur Fossil.

This case study introduces detailed information of each green strategy and how comprehensive strategies are well integrated into the project to stay within the budget.

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A New Daylighting Strategy for a Middle School in North Carolina
Umesh Atre & Jon Zubizarreta, Innovative Design Inc.;
Herbert Eckerlin & Myra Manning, North Carolina State University - 2007

ABSTRACT
This paper investigates the findings of daylighting studies being conducted at the Northern Guilford Middle School in Greensboro, North Carolina. Over the past fifteen years, a number of daylit schools have been built in North Carolina.  Many of these schools incorporate roof monitors and dormer clerestories to introduce natural light into the classroom. 
A new daylighting strategy has been developed and incorporated into the design of the Northern Guilford Middle School. For the first time, the architects have incorporated an entirely new approach to daylighting design. This design utilizes a unique curved, translucent interior light shelf, working in combination with a highly reflective ceiling in the classroom spaces. While preventing glare, this strategy diffuses daylight in a very uniform manner and assists in reflecting daylight deeper into the classroom spaces. The daylighting glazing area is reduced by 40% compared to that used in past daylighting applications. Whole building energy analysis results indicate a 50% lighting energy reduction, a 10% cooling energy reduction, and a 11% total building energy reduction through daylighting (about 60% of the total square footage of the building is daylit), as compared to a code compliant base case without daylighting.

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Comparison of Daylighting Strategies for Schools
Mike Nicklas & Umesh Atre - 2007

ABSTRACT
This paper will describe the overall process and key factors considered by our architectural firm during a recent whole-building analytical process to develop a new, more cost-effective daylighting strategy for classroom daylighting.  The analysis evaluated the cost and efficiency impacts of key factors that impact good daylighting design for K-12 school design.
Our firm has previously designed, implemented and later analyzed many classroom daylighting strategies that have employed south- and north-facing room monitor and lightshelf strategies on similar K-12 classrooms.  The goal of this effort was to develop a strategy that would improve energy efficiency and reduce initial construction cost while still maintaining a high quality daylighting solution that would minimize glare and maintain reasonable light level uniformity within the classroom.

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