Intermediate Light Shelves

Intermediate light shelves divide solar glazing, reduce glare and evenly distribute daylight in a space.

Intermediate light shelves eliminate direct sunlight on critical task areas located near a solar glazed window (facing the equator), and reflect sunlight to the ceiling where it is evenly redistributed. Light shelves can extend the depth of side daylighting to 2.5 times the height of the glazed opening.

Design a light shelf so that:

• It is a minimum of 60 cm (2 ft.) from the ceiling.
• It shades the lower glazing in summer.
• The depth of an interior light shelf is equal to the height of the glazing above it.

Make the upper glazing area a minimum of 8% to 11% of the floor area to be daylit, and the surface of the light shelf and ceiling white in color. Make the floor to ceiling height of the space a minimum of 3 meters (9 ft.).