Daylighting Technology: Why Natural Light Is the Future of Sustainable Buildings | Neall Digert
In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, Vit Lyoshin speaks with Neall Digert, Vice President at Kingspan Light + Air, about how daylighting technology is transforming the way buildings use natural light. They explore how modern architecture can capture and redirect sunlight to illuminate indoor spaces, reducing the need for electric lighting while improving the experience of the people inside those buildings.
Neall explains the science behind daylighting systems, including technologies that collect sunlight on rooftops and transport it through reflective tubes into interior spaces. Unlike traditional windows, these systems allow architects and engineers to control how light is distributed inside a building, focusing it where it’s needed, diffusing it across large work areas, or highlighting architectural features. The goal is not just energy savings, but creating environments that support human health, comfort, and productivity.
The discussion also explores the broader role of natural light in sustainable architecture. Neall shares how daylight is a critical biological signal for the human body, influencing sleep cycles, alertness, and overall well-being. By integrating daylighting into building design, companies can reduce energy consumption while creating healthier workplaces that improve focus and performance.
Vit and Neall also look toward the future of human-centric building design, where sustainability goes beyond efficiency and focuses on how buildings support the people who use them. From energy-positive manufacturing facilities to adaptive building technologies that generate electricity or respond to environmental conditions, the episode highlights how innovation in construction is reshaping the built environment.
This conversation offers valuable insights into how daylighting, sustainable building technology, and smarter architectural design could redefine the way we live and work indoors in the decades ahead.
Neall Digert is a leading expert in daylighting and sustainable building design and serves as Vice President at Kingspan Light + Air, a global company developing technologies that improve building performance and environmental sustainability. With decades of experience in architectural daylight systems, he has helped advance solutions that use natural sunlight to illuminate buildings while reducing energy use and carbon impact. Neall is also known for his work on the Solatube daylighting system, which uses optical technologies to capture, transfer, and distribute sunlight indoors.
Takeaways
- Daylighting technology captures sunlight on the roof and transports it through reflective tubes to illuminate interior spaces without electricity.
- Natural daylight is one of the strongest biological signals for the human body, influencing sleep cycles, hormones, and alertness.
- Buildings designed with strong daylight exposure can increase office productivity by about 6%, simply by improving the environment people work in.
- A well-designed daylighting system can replace electric lighting for most of the day, reducing energy costs and carbon footprint.
- The Solatube campus in California operates with electric lights only about 3% of the year, relying almost entirely on natural light.
- Daylighting systems can guide sunlight through multiple floors and complex building structures, similar to “ducting” light like air.
- Unlike standard windows, advanced daylighting systems can control how light is distributed inside a building, focusing, diffusing, or highlighting areas.
- Lighting represents 40–75% of energy use in many commercial buildings, making it one of the biggest opportunities for energy savings.
- Designing buildings for disassembly and recycling could dramatically reduce construction waste and enable true circular architecture.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
01:38 What is Daylighting?
02:21 Kingspan's Daylighting Solutions
05:21 The Science Behind Daylighting Technology
08:59 The Origins of Tubular Daylighting Devices
11:52 Biological and Psychological Benefits of Daylighting
19:36 Economic Advantages of Daylighting
24:20 Challenges in Daylighting Technology Development
27:55 Energy Positive Manufacturing at Kingspan
33:40 Sustainable Building Practices
36:50 Future of Building Design
40:20 Circular Economy in Construction
47:19 Innovative Materials and Technologies
51:02 Innovation Q&A
Connect with Neall
- Website: http://www.kingspanlightandair.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drnealldigert/
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Connect with Vit
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vit-lyoshin/
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Episode References
Solatube Daylighting Systems
https://solatube.com
A daylighting technology that captures sunlight on rooftops and channels it through reflective tubes to illuminate indoor spaces without electricity.
Planet Passionate Program (Kingspan Sustainability Program)
https://www.kingspangroup.com/en/sustainability/planet-passionate/
Kingspan’s global sustainability initiative focused on energy use, carbon reduction, circular materials, and water conservation in construction.
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_digital_assistant
A handheld computing device popular in the 1990s that allowed users to manage contacts, notes, and schedules before smartphones became dominant.
Apple Smartphone (iPhone Era)
https://www.apple.com/iphone/
Apple’s smartphone platform that helped replace earlier personal digital assistants by integrating communication, computing, and apps into a single device.
Photovoltaic Solar Energy Systems
https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/photovoltaics
Solar panel technology that converts sunlight into electricity, commonly used in buildings to generate renewable energy.
Evidence-Based Design (Building and Architecture Research)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evidence-based_design
A design approach that uses scientific research, such as studies on daylight, health, and productivity, to guide architectural decisions.
