EWINDOW Artificial Daylight System

Daylight & the EWINDOW System

Daylight has been the most important lighting source to us throughout human history. Studies have shown that daylight has great impact on humans, not only to provide illumination, but also to improve our mood and physical health. EWINDOW is an artificial daylight system that simulates the natural rhythm of daylight and adjusts for time, seasons latitude and architecture.

Natural View

Meeting the need for contact with the outside living environment is an important psychological aspect linked to daylight (Robbins, 1986). Because natural views tend to produce positive responses, they may be more effective in reducing stress, decreasing anxiety, holding attention, and improving mood. Studies in 1979, 1981, and 1986 by Ulrich (Heerwagen 1986) support the effectiveness of natural views. EWINDOW provide a vivid scene with sky, clouds and sunshine, to reproduce daylight indoors.

Natural Rhythms

Almost everything under the sun follows the rhythms of the sun. The biological clock is involved in many aspects of our complex physiology. We now know that all multicellular organisms, including humans, utilize a similar mechanism to control circadian rhythms. A large proportion of our genes are regulated by the biological clock and , consequently, a carefully calibrated circadian rhythm adapts our physiology to the different phases of the day (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2017).

EWINDOW creates a strong daylight-like environment, and it can synchronize with lighting the sun’s ambiance throughout the day. By corresponding with natural daylight rhythms, EWINDOW corresponds with our circadian cycle.

Natural Lighting

Daylight has great impact on our lives and it is an essential part of architecture. But it varies with many factors, such as architecture, latitude, climate, seasons. As an artificial lighting source, EWINDOW does not have these restrictions, making daylight a viable option for interior spaces. Architects and designers now have the ability to integrate artificial daylight into areas not possible before.

The EWINDOW Artificial Daylight System

Introducing a new way to illuminate interior spaces. EWINDOW’s patented design integrates a 3D simulated sky scene, synchronized to the patterns of natural sunlight throughout the day, adjusting for seasons, latitude and ambient light conditions to emulate an exterior window. Settings are easily adjusted using a wall mounted control panel, smartphone app or DALI controls.  Perfect for office, hotel, retail, healthcare, school, underground and home use.

Download the EWINDOW brochure here.

Cloud & Blue Sky View

Special LEDs are used to light up the sky and clouds, then transform them into a translucent 3D image, so the performance of the EWINDOW simulates a real sky and clouds.  For those who prefer the pure blue sky, we also provide the EWINDOW with a very clear blue sky and its infinite depth to reproduce the true effect of the light and space outdoor.

Controls

The EWINDOW system can be controlled wall mounted control panel, an APP or via the Dali system. All are simple to set up and easy to use.

Mounting Frames

Choose from recessed or surface mounting frames.

Or custom build your own surrounds.

Applications

Daylight at Home

We spend many time at home, we all want to make our home to be a better place, full of love and caring. A few studies in dwellings show that natural light is the single most important attribute in a home, with over 60% of respondents ranking it as important (Finlay,2012). A WHO survey involving eight cities across Europe, showed that individuals who report inadequate natural light in their homes have a greater risk of depression and falls (Brown,2011).

Daylight in Offices

Many of us spend many time in office, working a lot and under a lot of pressure. The lighting in office should focus on increasing working productivity and decreasing working pressure for employees. Natural light helps maintain good health and can cure some medical ailments. The pleasant environment created by natural light decreases stress levels for office workers. Productivity increases with the improved health of workers and with better productivity comes financial benefits for employers (L. Edwards and P. Torcellini, 2002).

Daylight in Hotels

The lighting in hotels should respond to the exact needs of guests, expressing itself to customers in a pleasant and relaxing way. Lighting should also make people feel safe and secure in their environment. EWINDOWS address both of these needs.

Daylight in Retail

Daylighting provides retail customers with an inviting and pleasant ambiance, creating a more pleasurable shopping experience. A bright and inviting atmosphere also attracts customers, inviting them into the retail environment.

Daylight in Underground

As the populations grow, our cities become more and more crowded, requiring underground facilities. But in an underground environment, natural light can barely be seen, if at all. EWINDOW provides a dynamic daylighting environment that imitates the natural rhythm of natural lighting, decreases feelings of being shut in, and helps to align our biological clock to a natural cycle.

Daylight in Schools

School is an important place for children throughout their developing lives. Lighting within educational facilities should be aligned with childrens’ physiological and psychological needs. A Daystar article,” Benefits of Natural Daylighting” (1998), states that there is increased student and teacher attendance , increased achievement rates, reduced fatigue factors, improved student health, and enhancement of general development in environments where greater daylighting is present.

Daylight in Healthcare

Daylight is widely used in healthcare facilities. Studies indicate that daylighting can lower a facility’s operating costs because patients recover faster in day-lit recovery centers. The spatial quality from windows has also been cited as having a psycho-therapeutic quality by providing pastoral views and natural light; therefore, an environment becomes more therapeutic with more spatial quality (Vischer 1986; Verderber 1983). EWINDOWS provides this benefit in areas where windows and skylights are not possible.

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Concord Hospital: Saving Energy While Simultaneously Reducing Costs

Summary

  • Concord Hospital suffered from a lack of steam capacity, aged equipment, inefficient energy and operations, and increased energy costs.
  • Concord realized $678,976 in guaranteed annual energy savings and reduced its energy usage from 284.2 kBtu/ft2/year to 211.8 kBtu/ft2/year.

The Problem

In 2009, Concord Hospital’s current facilities director came on board and realized a lack of steam capacity during an extreme set of cold days. The hospital was consuming all that it had the ability to handle. There was very little room for error. Concord’s equipment had aged, the hospital had outgrown its plan capacity, its energy and operations use were inefficient, and energy prices were increasing. Although Concord Hospital had made several improvements, efficient equipment needed to be addressed and lighting technology had changed.

Read the full report:   http://www.healthierhospitals.org/get-inspired/case-studies/concord-hospital-saving-energy-while-simultaneously-reducing-costs

University of California San Francisco Saves 88% with Adaptive LED Parking Lot Lighting

In 2012, UC San Francisco launched a pilot demonstration of energy-efficient lighting on the top level of its two-tier parking garage at 2340 Post Street. That level of the parking structure had lacked lighting for some time, but a sharp increase in use prompted some calls expressing safety concerns. More light was clearly needed, but the project team had to be careful not to disturb residents of the apartment building next door.

Dimmable, full-cutoff LED light fixtures were paired with motion sensors and incorporated into a wireless lighting control system to give the campus a smart, simple way to monitor and manage lighting energy use for the area. The six fixtures now serve as the basis of a network that parking enforcement can access via Web interface to adjust scheduling and tuning.

Read the full report here.

Case Study: Medical Center Parking Structure

With 7 hospitals and 22 physician locations serving more than 9 Wisconsin counties, ThedaCare has ample room to implement and reap the benefits of building efficiency measures. At the Appleton Medical Center, ThedaCare’s Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking (LEEP) Campaign Award winning project involved replacing inefficient medium-wattage HID lighting fixtures at a 126,000 square foot parking structure with high efficiency low-wattage LED fixtures. The resulting energy savings exceed 80 percent of the previous usage. A 100-year old company and the third largest health care employer in Wisconsin, ThedaCare has now implemented LED exterior lighting throughout Appleton Medical Center.

Read the full report here.

Baystate Health – Bending the Cost Curve

Baystate Health’s (Baystate) ambition is for the health system to become the leader in helping create the most energy efficient, safe and effectively managed buildings in the health care industry.

Baystate performed initial benchmarking and saw numerous opportunities to improve including redoing controls, replacing boilers and pumps, retrocommissioning, lighting upgrades, and mechanical upgrades. For example, in the Operating Rooms (OR), they worked to improve the quality of air and partnered with the OR staff to show them the importance of this initiative. Not only were they able to improve communications between Facilities and Operating Room staff, but reduce the amount of energy spent as well.

Read the full report:   http://www.healthierhospitals.org/sites/default/files/IMCE/baystate_health.pdf

 

Southcoast Health: A Multi-Prong Approach to Energy Efficiency

As part of an overall energy efficiency program, Southcoast upgraded their lighting inside and outside the hospitals. All properties changed to LED lighting on the outer parts of the hospitals and parking lots. Inside, they upgraded a total of 80 percent of their lighting to one of the most efficient lights possible as well as put in motion sensor for better lighting control.

Read the full report:   http://www.healthierhospitals.org/get-inspired/case-studies/southcoast-health-multi-prong-approach-energy-efficiency

Smart Strategy: Regions Hospital Sustainability Team Slashes $1.17 Million in Energy Costs

Patient care is the focal point of all decisions made at a hospital, so when the maintenance staff at Regions Hospital in St. Paul was looking at operating more efficiently to save energy and money, they kept the patients in mind every step of the way.

Established in 1872, Regions Hospital is a private, non-profit organization, providing health care services in St. Paul and its surrounding communities, as well as for patients who come from throughout Minnesota, western Wisconsin and other Midwestern states.

Read the full report:   https://www.xcelenergy.com/staticfiles/xe/Marketing/Files/MN-Bus-Cooling-Regions-Hospital-Case-Study.pdf

Lighting with LEDs: Area Lights for Commercial Garage

This U.S. Department of Energy GATEWAY Demonstration project studied the applicability of LED luminaires for a commercial parking garage serving a hospital in Portland, Oregon. Participants in the project included the U.S. Department of Energy, Providence Portland Medical Center (PPMC), the Energy Trust of Oregon (ETO), and Lighting Sciences Group (LSG) Inc. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) conducted the measurements and analysis of the results.

Read the full report:   http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/gateway_ppmc_brief.pdf

Networked Adaptive Exterior LED Lighting Generates Energy Savings of 66% – Wins 2014 Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking (LEEP) Award

In 2014, NorthBay VacaValley Hospital became one of the first U.S. health care facilities to install an energy-efficient, ultra-smart outdoor LED lighting system. The award-winning project was so successful that the NorthBay Healthcare group is now considering expanding the VacaValley system and retrofitting the outdoor lighting at other sites.

Read the full report:   http://cltc.ucdavis.edu/sites/default/files/files/publication/case-study-adaptive-exterior-lighting-healthcare-vacavalley-hospital.pdf

Hospital System Tackles Energy Efficiency on a Large Scale

Trinity Health (Mount Carmel’s parent company) was searching for ways to reduce energy consumption across its entire system in an effort to be more environmentally responsible – but also benefit the company’s bottom line.

Mount Carmel earned a total of $202,027.44 in incentives from AEP Ohio and conserved over 2,500,000 kWh of electricity through the SelfDirect Program, an opportunity to retroactively earn incentives for prior energy efficiency projects, and the Prescriptive Program.

Measures implemented included airhandling unit controls, variable speed drives, replacement of thousands of T12 fluorescent lamps with high efficiency T8 lamps, installation of L.E.D. bulbs, replacement of exit signs, removal of a 500-ton chiller and more.

Read the full report:   http://ohiohospitals.org/OHA/media/Images/Membership%20Services/Documents/Mount-Carmel_Case-Study.pdf