In this thought-provoking episode of Sunlight Matters, we travel across Europe to explore how daylight access, sunlight rights, and urban densification intersect—and often clash.

Joining us are three brilliant minds working at the forefront of daylight analysis and sunlight legislation:

🌞 Mina Gaarder – A Civil Engineer based in Norway who recently completed a master’s thesis on daylight in dense urban areas, comparing regulatory frameworks in Norway, Sweden, the UK, and the U.S. She brings a research-driven lens to how daylight affects housing quality, health, and urban form.

🌞 Susanne Höglin – Stockholm-based building permit architect and former case manager at Stockholm Municipality. Now working at ACC Glas och Fasadkonsult, she investigates how urban densification affects daylight access in existing buildings and how legislation is keeping pace (or not).

🌞 Eftychia Stamataki – Architect and energy-efficient buildings expert, originally from Greece and now based in Stockholm. At ACC Glas och Fasadkonsult, she leads projects on daylight and sunlight studies, as well as thermal comfort, and advocates for the better integration of sunlight in early-stage urban design.

Together, we unpack:

• 🌇 The difference between daylight and sunlight—and why it matters
• 🏙️ How shadow mapping tools like Shadowmap empower citizens to challenge poor planning
• ⚖️ Why laws protecting existing building light access missing or weak in many countries
• 📐 How older urban codes used geometry to protect sunlight—and what we’ve lost in the digital age
• 🗣️ Why public education and democratization of urban design are vital to fair development

If you're interested in sunlight analysis, urban planning best practices, or want to understand how sun exposure impacts health and housing quality, this episode is for you.

🔦 Don’t miss this deep dive into the bright side of building cities better.

In this episode, we are joined by David Herrera, better known online as The Solar Athlete, who brings a unique blend of engineering, biology, and real-world coaching to the conversation.

From his backyard in high-altitude Wyoming, David shares the incredible journey that took him from world-class powerlifter and oilfield technician to a leading voice on circadian biology, light hygiene, and solar optimization for human performance.

In this episode, we dive into:

☀️ Why sunlight exposure is the most overlooked tool for boosting vitality, performance, and sleep quality
🌡️ How cold and solar exposure work together to regulate metabolism, brain function, and melanin repair
📶 What happens when you're living next to a cell tower, and why EMF awareness is critical to long-term health
🏠 The role of melanin as a biological semiconductor — and how to use it like solar tech for your body
🧊 Simple, science-backed winter protocols to stay tuned to natural rhythms — including outdoor exposure, infrared light, and the surprising benefits of staying cold
💡 Practical strategies for working with — not against — the seasons using light, timing, and indoor environment tweaks
🏙️ And why sunlight analysis, shadow mapping, and smart home orientation should be a priority in architecture, urban planning, and real estate design

Whether you’re an athlete, architect, health hacker, or someone trying to shake off the winter blues, this is your blueprint for living in alignment with the original energy source of life: the Sun.

🔥 Tune in and discover how to create your own seasonal protocol, master light exposure, and reclaim the natural intelligence of your biology, One Sunrise at a Time.

What if your computer screen could heal you instead of harming you?

In this episode of Sunlight Matters, we’re joined by Dr Peter Veto and Liliana Lettieri, the visionary team behind Pixun — a company pioneering solar-powered, full-spectrum displays that use real sunlight instead of artificial backlighting.

Peter and Liliana share their personal journeys with light sensitivity, screen-induced insomnia, and EMF-related health issues, and how those struggles inspired them to engineer a radically new type of screen — one that brings the entire solar spectrum indoors using fiber optics and rooftop solar collectors.

We dive into:

• Why most screens today are making us tired, sick, and unfocused
• The science behind sunlight exposure, blue light toxicity, and circadian disruption
• How Pixun’s screens deliver natural light through displays, supporting everything from sleep health to vision and cellular function
• Real-world applications for urban living, real estate sun studies, architecture, and workspace wellness
• How tools like shadow mapping and sunlight analysis can optimize solar collector placement for homes and commercial buildings

Whether you’re a parent worried about your child’s screen time, an architect exploring better building orientation, or a company looking to improve employee wellness through sunlight-optimized tech — this episode will change the way you think about screens forever.