Day Light Simulation of an Institutional Building by Using Autodesk-Ecotect

Buildings are substantially responsible for 33% of energy consumption for air-conditioning and artificial day lighting in India. The commercial and residential buildings account for about 8% and 25% of energy consumption, respectively in India, so energy efficiency is an important criterion that needs special attention while considering sustainable buildings. Various alternate energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal energies proved to be better in creating an energy efficient built environment; along with these criteria effective utilization of daylight plays a crucial role in creating energy efficient buildings. Ecotect Day Light simulation analysis is one such case which briefs up the concept of Energy efficiency. It shows the sun path and shadow analysis of a project or a building on a particular day, time and place throughout the year (even before its construction), which would help the engineers and architects/designers to go for alternative plans for effective use of day light in construction projects, this could soon become an integral part of building and architectural design for Energy efficient buildings. The present study shows the day-light simulation and thermal performance of an institutional building for achieving the best efficiency of natural lighting and energy saving during the daytime to reach optimum daylight performance using Autodesk Ecotect.

Keywords: Daylight; Sustainability; Energy efficiency; Simulation; Sunlight; Energy