Window view clarity evaluation in electrochromic glazings

Energy and Buildings, vol. 344, pp. 116040

Abstract

The Quality of View (QV) through windows significantly impacts human well-being, with view clarity representing a crucial aspect within QV assessments. Electrochromic (EC) windows, capable of dynamically adjusting tint levels to manage light and heat penetration, offer varying degrees of view clarity. Evaluating this clarity is vital for comprehensively understanding how EC windows influence human comfort in architectural settings and also complements the related subjective assessments. This study introduces a unique approach to assess the clarity of views facilitated by EC windows. Employing advanced image processing techniques, a novel methodology was developed for this purpose, generating 3456 images through the Radiance engine. These images considered multiple factors such as viewpoint, tint level, separate window zones, and time of day for different building orientations. Using the Landolt-C chart as a simulated view target under diverse EC window configurations, the study compared simulated images with a reference image, applying the Saliency Guided Enhanced Structural Similarity algorithm (SG-ESSIM) —an image quality assessment algorithm. The study’s outcomes underscore the method’s ability to identify optimal EC window configurations, effectively maximising QV. Furthermore, this methodology offers opportunities for integration with subjective clarity assessments and EC window control strategies, supporting a more comprehensive understanding of QV trade-offs in dynamic façade design

Authors 3

1. Peiman Pilechiha corresponding Aachen Healthy Living Spaces Lab Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine Medical Faculty

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Healthy Living Spaces lab, Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

2. Nasim Goli Baghmahyari

   Bu-Ali Sina University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Architecture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

3. Farhad Barahimi

   Pars University of Art and Architecture

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Architectural Technology, Pars University, Tehran, Iran