An intuitive daylighting performance analysis and optimization approach

Abstract

The effective integration of daylighting considerations into the design process requires many issues to be addressed simultaneously, such as daily and seasonal variations, illumination and thermal comfort. To address the need for early integration into the design process, a new approach called Lightsolve, has been developed. Its key objectives are to support the design process using a goal-oriented approach based on iterative design improvement suggestions; to provide climate-based annual metrics in a visual and synthesized format; and to relate quantitative and qualitative performance criteria using daylighting analysis data in various forms. This methodology includes the development of a time-segmentation process to represent weather and time in a condensed form, the adaptation of daylight metrics that encompass temporal and spatial considerations, and the creation of an interactive analysis interface to explore design options and design iterations. This system relies on optimization techniques to generate these suggestions. Lightsolve allows the designer to explore other design alternatives that may better fulfill his objectives and to learn about appropriate strategies to resolve daylight or sunlight penetration issues. It offers architects and building engineers support for daylighting design that can be employed interactively within the existing design process.

A review of indices for assessing visual comfort with a view to their use in optimization processes to support building integrated design

“…In physical terms, uniformity of light is rendered with uniformity of illuminance on a given task area. It is a useful parameter for describing a given light environment since a simple illuminance average over the entire task area can lead to conclusions that may be similar for very different situations, i.e., a very uniform light distribution and a highly heterogeneous one [16].…”

“…According to Andersen, Kleindienst [16], a reliable prediction of glare with indices still poses important challenges in the building design because: (i) it strongly depends on the observer's position, (ii) tolerance to glare varies depending on the individual, his background, his capability to adapt to the light environment, and (iii) the range of assessed luminance can be very wide.…”

“…Thus, according to Suk, Schiler [99], it would be the most appropriate metric to analyze absolute glare issues. However, a limitation of procedure is that it usually involves a lot more computation time and user effort compared to the simple analytic calculations required by most of the other glare indices [16]. First, designer must choose one or more viewpoints of interest, basically corresponding to key occupant positions in the space, then, renderings in the RADIANCE picture format have to be produced, and finally a glare evaluation has to be carried out using evalglare, a specifically developed software able to detect glare sources on a 180° fish-eye scene [69].…”

Considerations on design optimization criteria for windows providing low energy consumption and high visual comfort

“…A second option is to calculate data for representative time segments, based on weather files containing detailed information on solar radiation and position, outdoor temperature, etc. [40]. Afterwards, the number of time steps where a specified condition is met can be added up and compared with other designs.…”

Daylighting Design in Classroom Based on Yearly-Graphic Analysis

“…In other words, DA can show that for 70 percent of annual working hours, a particular point has adequate daylight, but it cannot show whether this point is underperforming in the morning hours, or in the winter [33]. The team of Andercen developed synthesis analysis tools, Lightsolve, to overcome this issue [32][33][34]. Lightsolve does annual daylghting calculation with the ASRC-CIE sky model and displays yearly data on a temporal map that a color-scaled surface graph with the year on the x-axis and the day on the y-axis.…”