METHOD FOR CHARACTERIZING THE DAYLIGHT PERFORMANCE OF WINDOWS WITH SOLAR CONTROL DEVICES

Abstract

The evaluation of daylight admission through windows with solar control devices is not an easy task, once the addition of elements beside the window modifies the amount and direction of transmitted daylight. The aim of the present study is to define a method for assessment to the daylight behavior of fenestration with different types of solar control devices, obtaining information about the resultant luminous flux and its spatial distribution. The method is based on the definition of a virtual model analogous to the goniophotometer, equipment used in laboratory for photometric studies. The proposal was implemented through a daylight computer simulation program, APOLUX 1.0. The analysis parameters were the admitted luminous flux and the window equivalent luminance turned to the inside, characterizing the incoming flux spatial distribution. The study was developed with different types of solar control devices, horizontal and vertical ones. The obtained results allow pointing the method as very reasonable for the proposed objectives, also presenting some advantages over laboratorial experimental methods, such as a shorter analysis time, reduced cost and accessible to most of the researchers