Visual Comfort and IEQ

Discomfort glare, perceptions of interior brightness or gloom, and access and quality of outdoor view are all performance metrics used to evaluate window and daylighting systems. If the technology alone is incapable of delivering comfort on a routine basis, occupants will intervene, which in turn can reduce its effectiveness. LBNL has conducted research to develop both the tools for evaluating visual discomfort and to derive metrics for the evaluation of daylighting impacts.

High dynamic range imaging systems (red circle above in LBNL's FLEXLAB^®) produce falsecolor luminance maps from the viewpoint of the human eye.  Automated, these systems can be used to evaluate visual comfort in indoor spaces. Image: Andrew McNeil.