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Help Make Natural Daylight the Primary Interior Light Source in Homes and Buildings.

#RightToDaylight
Daylight is Not a Privilege. It’s a Natural Right.

Daylight Has Supported Humanity Since the Dawn of Our Existence.

Daylight is what grows the plants that sustain our food sources and create the oxygen we breathe. Daylight is the light source that has shaped human evolution from the very beginning.

More than just a visual aid, we feel daylight deep in our being. It sets our circadian rhythms and connects us to sky conditions so that we intuitively know the time of day and year. It guides our daily lives, telling us when to wake and, in its absence, when to sleep.

Daylight is the Perfect Light Source for Seeing the World Around Us.

Under daylight, colors appear true and details are more vivid. Daylight has a positive effect on our cognition and our emotions. To “never see the light of day again” is a punishment that represents the absolute depths of despair.

Daylight not only gives life, but hope. It’s a metaphor that translates across language, cultural, and societal barriers; it speaks to something deeply ingrained in us as human beings.

273Billion kWh

US Energy for Lighting

Electric Lights Use Energy

Lighting uses 273 billion kilowatt-hours of energy across the US.

That’s 7% of total US energy consumption.

Daylight Uses Zero Energy.

On November 7th, 2018, Eneref Institute wrote an open letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

“Eneref Institute holds the position that favorable conditions at work entails building facilities that are designed for occupant wellbeing.”

Read the full text of LETTER.

Eneref Report, “The Seven Market Obstacles to Daylighting” republished in LD+A magazine, February, 2014. REPRINT

Leaders Making an Impact

Eneref Reports Build Confidence With Testimonials by Industry Leaders and Early Adaptors.

Eneref’s solutions need to align with our mission of to encourage socially responsible, earth-friendly actions.

Once I saw it, the skylight tied everything together and made the office look gorgeous.

Laura Green Rothermel - Designer, Staffzone > View Eneref Report

I’ve been installing windows for 30 years or more. I don’t see anything else out there that’s quite as nice.

Paul Sherrin - Owner of Sherrin Glass and Metal > View Eneref Report

A lot of companies can do a historical or preservation match, but only this one could also create a code-compliant, impact-rated product. That was what we needed.

Jason Gregorie - Structural Engineer, Applied Building Sciences, > View Eneref Report

When we take potential students and parents... the look on their faces, they’re in awe, like, oh wow!

Jane Hamatani - USC Facilities Management Director > View Eneref Report

Lighting designers should aim to achieve Spatial Daylight Autonomy values of 75 percent or higher in classrooms.

Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg - Professor, University of Oregon > View Eneref Report

Window placement is how we design the room, because that will define how that room interacts with the outside.

Virginia Dominicis - Architect, Virginia Dominicis Design Studio > View Eneref Report

Our team designed an indoor-outdoor beach house that is very efficient, and everybody seems to love the casual aspect of it.

Lillian Fernandez - Palm Beach Homeowner > View Eneref Report

The Charleston Library is in a very prominent location and we protected it for another hundred, two hundred years.

Bud Hay - President, Palmetto Craftsmen > View Eneref Report

What Actions Can We Take to Make a Difference?

What to Do

What to Say

Make an effort to notice skylights and windows at the grocery store, at work, at the doctor’s office, even in your own home. If you don’t see enough sunlight, tell someone. Building managers, facility operators, architects, construction companies… they need to know that we care about natural daylight.

They need to hear it from all of us: everyone has a #RightToDaylight.

  1. NATURAL DAYLIGHT BURNS NO FOSSIL FUELS

    Natural interior daylight (NID) saves energy. Daylight uses no electricity and burns no fossil fuel. Despite the market obstacles, buildings that use natural daylight save on energy costs, especially when daylight sensors and controls reduce the electric lighting. It may be one reason that homes with better windows and skylights increase in value faster.

  2. NATURAL DAYLIGHT IS HEALTHY

    People need windows and skylights because exposure to daylight is healthy. Studies demonstrate that the biological benefits of daylight significantly increase human performance outcomes, especially in classrooms, and is the reason that top universities insist on using natural daylight. Workers in offices with daylight have fewer sick days. Natural daylight is commonly used in health care facilities as well.

  3. NATURAL DAYLIGHT IS THE BEST LIGHT SOURCE

    Colors appear more vivid under daylight. Daylight brightens homes and helps people to discern colors. Visual acuity for examining small details is significantly improved. In fact, colors are so much better under natural daylight that auto sales increase in dealerships that use skylights. From office workers to firefighters, people appreciate the benefit of daylight where they work.