The Core Sunlighting Alliance is a group of leaders in the fields of design, construction, energy-efficient technology development, and energy regulation who are committed to accelerating the commercialization and widespread adoption of core sunlighting systems.
Core sunlighting has the potential to revolutionize the way we light multi-floor commercial buildings. By guiding sunlight into building cores, where daylight from windows or skylights cannot reach, an effective core sunlighting system dramatically improves the quality and color rendering of light, cuts energy use by at least 25 percent, and reduces peak demand during critical periods.
Cost-effective core sunlighting systems are already in development, but the building industry's historically slow rate of change is cause for concern among energy efficiency advocates. This challenge was the inspiration for the Core Sunlighting Alliance.
Alliance members share the goal of seeing most commercial buildings illuminated with sunlight, and electric lighting shut off, whenever the sun shines. They hope to see this shift to daylighting achieved by 2030, substantially reducing energy consumption and dramatically improving lighting quality.
To begin work toward this goal, the Core Sunlighting Alliance has developed a preliminary action plan to address technical challenges, elucidate occupant satisfaction factors, and identify the most effective ways to navigate business and policy changes.
The Core Sunlighting Alliance arose from a workshop series funded by the Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership (CCSIP). Researchers at the California Lighting Technology Center at the University of California, Davis, and the University of British Columbia collaborated in organizing the workshop and in undertaking other efforts to initiate Alliance activities.
Principal Investigator: Konstantinos Papamichael