A Survey Study of Occupants’ Visual Satisfaction on an Automated Venetian Blind Based on Sky Luminance Monitoring and Lighting Simulation
Abstract
Smart daylighting control can contribute to the energy savings in artificial lighting, space cooling and heat loads in buildings. Although various shading automation systems have been proposed to better foster the utilization of daylight in buildings, the performance of which is limited by a number of factors, including insufficient glare protection, disturbing movement of slats, privacy issues, and commissioning difficulty. This paper investigates the performance of a novel shading system based on real-time sky luminance monitoring and lighting simulation, in the perspective of occupants’ visual satisfaction. A subjective study was conducted with 34 subjects in a daylighting testbed during the winter when the solar elevation angle is low and occupants were subject to discomfort glare from the sun. According to the survey results, 89% of the occupants showed satisfaction on daylight provision of the automated shading; 87% showed satisfaction on the glare protection; 86% of the occupants are satisfied with the quietness of shading movements.