Site layout planning for daylight and sunlight

BRE (Building Research Establishment) is the UK's leading centre of expertise for construction, the built environment, energy, fire, security and many associated issues.

On 12 September 2011 BRE published Site layout planning for daylight and sunlight: a guide to good practice, (BR209) written by P Littlefair.

The 84-page guide provides advice on site layout planning, including:

• Achieving good sunlighting and daylighting within buildings and in the open spaces between them.
• Safeguarding daylight and sunlight within existing nearby buildings.
• Protecting daylighting of adjoining land for future development.
• Passive solar site layout.
• Sunlighting gardens and amenity areas.
• Privacy, enclosure, microclimate, road layout and security.
• Rights to light.

The appendices include methods for quantifying access to sunlight and daylight within a layout. A transparent direction finder is included to calculate access to skylight, sunlight and solar radiation. Sun-on-ground indicators (AP288), a set of 12 transparent indicators to predict the availability of sunlight on the ground at the equinox at three different latitudes in the UK can be purchased separately.

The guide is intended to be used in conjunction with BS 8206-2:2008 Lighting for buildings. Code of practice for daylighting during the planning and design stages in the UK and Ireland.

The contents of the guide include:

• Introduction.
• Light from the sky.
• Sunlighting.
• Solar energy.
• Other issues.
• References and bibliography.
• Appendices:

1. Indicators to calculate access to skylight, sunlight and solar radiation.
2. Waldram diagram to calculate vertical sky component.
3. Interior daylight recommendations.
4. Plotting the no sky line.
5. Rights to light.
6. Setting alternative target values for skylight access.
7. Calculation of sun on the ground.
8. Calculations for trees and hedges.
9. Environmental impact assessment.

See also: Site layout planning for daylight.

--BRE Group

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