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Illumination of barns for dairy cattle : energy-efficiency and circadian lighting in a Swedish context

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Abstract

Improving energy efficiency in agriculture is key to reducing environmental impact. Lighting in animal buildings is one of the most cost‐effective energy saving measures. Lighting retrofit offers a short payback period, enhances animal welfare and production, and aligns with regulations for phasing out fluorescent lighting. The purpose of this study was to investigate the energy-saving potential of daylighting and electric lighting retrofits in dairy barns, focusing on energy efficiency and circadian lighting conditions. The study involved on-site measurements and lighting simulations of a dairy barn located in Southern Sweden. The results show that energy use reductions of 63% can be achieved with LED upgrades. Moreover, installing skylights in the roof would increase daylight autonomy from 12% to 55%, while providing higher melanopic illuminance than electric lighting. In conclusion, implementing LED lighting and daylighting strategies such as skylights can improve energy efficiency and indoor lighting quality in dairy barns.
Original languageEnglish
Article number102007
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Physics: Conference Series
Volume3140
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2025
Event2025 International Scientific Conference on the Built Environment in Transition, CISBAT 2025 - Hybrid, Lausanne, Switzerland
Duration: 3 Sept 20255 Sept 2025

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© Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.

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