Name a daylighting approach used to control glare and heat gain.

• A. Shading devices, such as louvers, blinds, or fritted glazing.
• B. Large clear glass walls without shading.
• C. Unfiltered skylights with no shading.
• D. Glossy white paint on interior surfaces.

Answer: (A)

Controlling glare and heat gain while daylighting relies on shading devices to modulate natural light. Louvers, blinds, or fritted glazing block or diffuse direct sunlight, producing more comfortable daylight levels and reducing the intensity of sun on interior surfaces. By filtering the sun, they lower solar heat entering the space, which helps keep cooling loads down, while still allowing daylight to reach the room and preserving exterior views when positioned appropriately. This approach is preferable to approaches that bring in a lot of direct sun, such as large clear glass walls or unfiltered skylights, which tend to intensify glare and increase heat gain. Glossy white interior surfaces affect how light reflects within the space but don’t actively reduce glare or solar heat through the daylighting system itself.