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.

In this powerful and eye-opening episode, Dave speaks with Theresa Bug, a former German police officer turned online health coach, holistic nutritionist, and advocate for natural light, grounding, and mitochondrial health.

🌿 Theresa shares her inspiring journey from a high-stress career in law enforcement—across Paris, London, Israel, and Africa—to deep healing through sunlight exposure, circadian rhythm restoration, and reconnecting with nature. Her story is a testament to the life-changing power of simple yet profound lifestyle changes.

💡 Key Topics Covered:

• How chronic stress and PTSD led her to holistic health
• The science behind morning sunlight and mitochondrial function
• Why grounding (earthing) and going barefoot can reset your nervous system
• The truth about blue light, screen time, and modern lighting
• The problems with supplement culture vs. real food and lifestyle
• How to eat seasonally and locally for optimal health and gut function
• Why gyms might be harming us more than helping—and how to exercise in harmony with nature
• Insights into raw milk, hydration, EMFs, red light, sleep, and ancestral living

☀️ This conversation explores how sunlight analysis, circadian health, and shadow-free living can transform your physical and mental health—especially in a world of artificial light, disconnected routines, and overprescribed medications.

To find out more about Theresa, her Website is a great starting point:

https://www.theresabug.com/home

or

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresa-christinerangebased/

In this illuminating episode, we're joined by Austrian engineer Viktoria Neumueller, a passionate advocate for sunlight-optimized architecture and energy-efficient building design. With a background in planning heating, cooling, and ventilation systems, Viktoria brings rare insight into how thoughtful building orientation and solar exposure can dramatically reduce heating costs, enhance comfort, and even transform quality of life.

We dive deep into:

• Why shadow mapping and sunlight analysis should be a first step in architectural design
• How ignoring solar orientation can cost homeowners thousands over a building’s lifetime
• Viktoria's personal mission to help homeowners, builders, and architects rethink natural light integration
• The surprising resistance from the construction industry—and how she’s challenging it

Whether you're planning a new build, renovating a home, or simply fascinated by how sunlight and design intersect, this episode will inspire a new way of seeing your space.

In this episode, Dave chats with Professor Glen Jeffery, a neuroscientist at University College London’s Institute of Ophthalmology, whose research investigates how light, particularly long-wavelength red and infrared, influences human health, metabolism, and ageing.

Glen Jeffery is recognised as one of the world's leading researchers in exploring how light interacts with our bodies.

Glen explains how sunlight penetrates the body, enhancing mitochondrial function, improving vision, and even boosting motor skills like grip strength. He warns that modern LED lighting, while energy-efficient, can harm metabolic health compared to incandescent bulbs that emit beneficial infrared light.

They examine the public health consequences of our “infrared starvation,” the role of mitochondria in ageing, and the unexpectedly affordable potential solutions, such as rethinking indoor lighting and spending 20–30 minutes outdoors. Glen makes comparisons to historical issues like scurvy, emphasising the need for urgent policy reforms before our ageing, indoor-bound populations face worsening health crises. Practical advice includes seeking more natural light, using infrared-rich lighting where feasible, and adopting lifestyle changes that incorporate movement and sunlight exposure.

Dave speaks with Dr. Nicholas Witton, a sleep medicine and light researcher, about the critical role of natural light, especially near-infrared (NIR) light, in human health.

Nicholas explains how we've shifted from living outdoors to spending over 90% of our time indoors under artificial light, particularly LEDs, which emit mainly blue light and lack the full spectrum, including the NIR wavelengths that make up over 50% of solar energy.

They explore how NIR light supports mitochondrial function, ATP production, and glucose regulation, with implications for metabolic health, sleep, mood, and performance.

The conversation explores how modern lighting may contribute to chronic illness and what small changes—such as morning sun exposure or switching to incandescent bulbs—can make a meaningful difference.

This episode reframes sunlight as essential nutrition, not just illumination. If you're interested in sunlight analysis, real estate sun studies, shadow mapping, or optimizing your home for natural light exposure, this is a must-listen.

What if your home or office is silently shaping your health, your mood, and even your future? In this eye-opening episode, Dave sits down with Dr. Mandana Khanie, Lecturer in Health and Wellbeing in Sustainable Buildings at UCL and Deputy Director of the Light and Lighting MSc Program. Together, they explore how the architecture of our indoor lives, where we now spend 90% of our time, profoundly impacts our biological rhythms, mental health, and long-term wellness.

Mandana shares her unique journey from aspiring medical doctor to architectural engineer, and why reconnecting design with natural sunlight is essential to reversing modern public health trends. They discuss cutting-edge research on circadian rhythms, the unintended health risks of LED lighting, and how built environments could be reshaped with real sunlight exposure, shadow mapping, and human-centric design at the core.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone in architecture, urban planning, real estate, or simply passionate about wellness and sustainability. Tune in to hear how we can design buildings and cities that are not only energy-efficient but biologically nourishing.