《Evaluation of the potential of natural light to illuminate buildings in dense urban》.pdf

Renewable Energy xxx (2011) 1e10 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Renewable Energy journal homepage: www.els /locate/renene Evaluation of the potential of natural light to illuminate buildings in dense urban environment. A study in Mendoza, Argentina * Nestor Alejandro Mesa , Lorena Corica, Andrea Pattini Instituto de Ciencias Humanas, Sociales y Ambientales (INCIHUSA e CONICET), RþD Unit: Laboratorio de Ambiente Humano y Vivienda, Adrian Ruiz Leal s/n, Parque General San Martin, 5500 Mendoza, Argentina a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Article history: Cities display an array of microclimates closely related to the composition of their surfaces and the Received 12 August 2010 relationships among their structures. The effect of the shadow cast by a high-rise building is a simple Accepted 11 February 2011 case of this situation. The incidence of the shadow on other buildings or urban spaces can be positive or Available online xxx negative, according to the bioclimatic requirements of the place and season. The understanding of the cause of these effects is key information that helps when planning new urban complexes or refurbishing Keywords: existing ones. Natural light Aiming at sustainable urban design, the building sector’s energy efficiency, associated with bioclimatic Building morphological Urban