A Case For Daylighting with Plasteco Skylights

The oldest source of light is the sun. Skylights have been used through history as a means of lighting. The positive effects of admitting daylight to the dark recesses of a building were recognized by Greek and Roman architects, whose skylights, such as the oculus in the dome of the Pantheon, were literally open to the sky.

Daylight from skylights is free and is our coolest source of illumination, offering more light per unit of heat than any other source. People like daylight. Even the variation of the level of daylight during the day and season yields a feeling of connection to the outdoors. Daylighting provided by skylights does not require the consumption of fossil fuels and therefore does not pollute the atmosphere.

The use of skylights is one of the techniques for daylighting. The most familiar approach to daylighting is windows. The quantity of light from windows depends on the height of the window above the working plane. The effectiveness of window lighting is limited to a distance into the room of about 2.5 times the height of the opening. In addition the amount of daylight from windows depends on the orientation of the windows. White translucent acrylic dome skylights do not depend on the building orientation. Daylight from skylights and clerestories provide about three times the amount of daylight as windows.

The versatility and cost effectiveness of the acrylic dome skylights have not been fully appreciated. Plasteco acrylic dome skylights are light in weight, and require no maintenance. They are particularly effective in large buildings that cannot be daylighted with clerestory lighting. The skylights can be located throughout the roof area in much the same manner as artificial lighting fixtures to obtain a even source of daylight throughout the building.

White Translucent Acrylic Dome Skylights versus flat Fiberglass Structural Panel Skylights- To disregard the type and shape of the glazing on standard size skylights can lead to some disappointing results. For example, a flat fiberglass panel skylight should not be substituted for a white translucent acrylic dome skylight solely on a size to size basis.

White Translucent Acrylic Domes have the characteristic of excellent diffusion of the transmitted daylight. In addition acrylic domes, when the sun is low, portions of the dome will not receive any direct sunlight. However, since the dome extends above the plane of the skylight opening the area of the dome receiving  direct sunlight is larger than the projected area of the skylight opening. This light diffusion characteristic of the white translucent dome gathers and projects the available daylight into the building interior.

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