ABSTRACT
The historical relationship between architecture and light is arguably as shaped by vernacular design as it is by Greek and Roman influence, both of which considered daylight in nuanced ways to determine city layouts. Instead of trying to "conquer" nature, as modern man has often done, they embrace the climate and the challenge of topography to create spaces that intelligently and efficiently manage various environmental factors—particularly sunlight. The sun provides energy and heat that drives the weather process and is, ultimately, the source of all energy consumed by humans, whether present or ancient, except for nuclear sources. Solar radiation falls on the electromagnetic spectrum. The three basic components of solar radiation (beam, sky diffuse, and reflected) transform into a wide array of parameters depending on how they are measured, classified, and aggregated. In order to quantify the impact of solar radiation on a surface, one needs data on the amount of radiation available.
