Integrated life cycle assessment (ILCA) approach to daylighting renovation of a sports hall considering light quality, environmental and financial aspects

Purpose This paper concerns an integrated life cycle assessment (ILCA) comparing daylighting retrofit solutions for an existing sports hall, currently relying only on electric lighting. Daylight quality, environmental impact and financial aspects are generally independently considered, leading to suboptimal decisions when all aspects are considered together. By taking the sports hall as an example, the article demonstrates how an ILCA can support the decision-making process. Design/methodology/approach The actual space is investigated via field measurements. These are utilized for calibrating simulation models. Daylight and circadian lighting simulations are carried out in Climate Studio and Alfa software. The simulations inform the final design for three potential daylighting retrofit solutions based on tubular daylight devices, skylights and windows. The solutions are analyzed and weighted based on daylight and circadian lighting outcomes, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Cost (LCC), and, finally, from an ILCA perspective. Findings No daylighting renovation outperformed other solutions in terms of quality, environmental and financial aspects. All renovations proved more profitable than no action. ILCA demonstrated the importance of balancing and optimizing all criteria together. The study highlights the need to incorporate daylighting design early and use ILCA approaches for informed, profitable renovation decisions. Originality/value While studies have been conducted to evaluate either the lighting quality or the environmental impact of daylighting retrofits, little has been done considering both aspects together, including also a financial perspective. There is a strong need for a more interdisciplinary approach to guide informed and optimal retrofit decisions.