Abstract

Good daylighting and shading design in urban outdoors not only provides a comfortable luminous environment, but also delivers energy savings and comfortable environments for surroundings, particularly in the hot arid climate. Yet, it can lead to a reduction in the daylight availability leading to visual discomfort. According to the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA, 2000, 2011), it is essential that daylight effects be considered in any space where daylight is admitted, even if it is not exploited as a light source, in order to reduce the need for artificial lighting. Therefore, an analysis of solar access and shading is necessary for to assure visual comfort underneath the shading tents. This paper attempts to investigate seven different shading scenarios addressing the solar radiation access underneath, in compliance with ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007 recommendations, by employing DIVA, which is an integration of Radiance and DAYSIM with thermal load simulation using Energy Plus within [1].

Keywords: Dayligh simulation; Diva; Incident solar radiation