Vertical Sky Component (VSC) and daylight regulation compliance by the EN 17037 and BFS 2011:6 standards

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between the Vertical Sky Component (VSC) metric and the European and Swedish daylighting regulations. VSC, a static geometrical metric, is considered a useful early indicator of indoor daylighting, as it is insensitive to late-stage design details such as material properties and internal layout. However, its relationship with modern building daylighting legislation has not been established. To address this gap, the paper investigates the relationship of VSC and daylight compliance by static and dynamic methods through simulations of a 'shoebox' room with varying Window-to-Floor Ratios (WFRs) and external obstruction dimensions. The results demonstrate that VSC has a large effect on daylighting compliance and can be a useful early planning tool. The study concludes that using VSC as a daylighting indicator in the urban planning process can lead to improved early design routines for better daylight compliance in the late design stages. Future work should aim to establish VSC performance thresholds.