Assessment and Improvement of Daylighting Quality in Classrooms with Double-Side Windows

Daylighting in educational buildings is a key factor in ensuring visual comfort and maintaining indoor environmental quality. In this context, daylight quality plays a crucial role in enhancing the lighting conditions within classrooms. Due to the local climate, classrooms with double-side windows a...

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Main Authors: Ezzaddeen Ali Mohammed Saeed AL-Mowallad, Xianfeng Huang, Zhen Lu, Xiaofan Li, Kaiwen Wu, Zhirui Zhu, Guohuan Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Buildings
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/11/3501
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author Ezzaddeen Ali Mohammed Saeed AL-Mowallad
Xianfeng Huang
Zhen Lu
Xiaofan Li
Kaiwen Wu
Zhirui Zhu
Guohuan Liu
author_facet Ezzaddeen Ali Mohammed Saeed AL-Mowallad
Xianfeng Huang
Zhen Lu
Xiaofan Li
Kaiwen Wu
Zhirui Zhu
Guohuan Liu
author_sort Ezzaddeen Ali Mohammed Saeed AL-Mowallad
collection DOAJ
description Daylighting in educational buildings is a key factor in ensuring visual comfort and maintaining indoor environmental quality. In this context, daylight quality plays a crucial role in enhancing the lighting conditions within classrooms. Due to the local climate, classrooms with double-side windows are widely prevalent in southern China; however, these wide windows can sometimes lead to uncomfortable glare and uneven daylight distribution. In response, and to address and improve daylight quality, this study selected some classrooms at Guangxi University as a typical case study. The investigation of indoor daylighting performance and visual comfort was conducted through field surveys (questionnaires), on-site measurements, and software simulations. A comprehensive analysis was conducted using lighting environment metrics, including Daylight Factor (<i>DF</i>), Illuminance Uniformity, Effective Illuminance, Daylight Glare Probability (<i>DGP</i>), and Useful Daylight Illuminance (<i>UDI</i>). The findings revealed that large window glass areas on both sides could lead to high <i>DF</i> values, pronounced glare, and low <i>UDI</i> within classrooms. Subsequently, by analyzing influencing factors such as the window-to-floor ratio, window type, the optical properties of classroom interior surfaces, and window shading devices, strategies for improving daylight quality in these classrooms were proposed. The results of this study provide guidance for future daylighting design in university classrooms in hot and humid regions. Moreover, it offers valuable benefits to a wide range of stakeholders, including researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, while providing crucial insights for improving national building standards in this region.
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spelling doaj-art-3deb66ab108d4b11ba2c58e70a80f4c62024-11-26T17:55:53ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092024-10-011411350110.3390/buildings14113501Assessment and Improvement of Daylighting Quality in Classrooms with Double-Side WindowsEzzaddeen Ali Mohammed Saeed AL-Mowallad0Xianfeng Huang1Zhen Lu2Xiaofan Li3Kaiwen Wu4Zhirui Zhu5Guohuan Liu6College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, ChinaCollege of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, ChinaCollege of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, ChinaCollege of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, ChinaCollege of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, ChinaCollege of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, ChinaCollege of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, ChinaDaylighting in educational buildings is a key factor in ensuring visual comfort and maintaining indoor environmental quality. In this context, daylight quality plays a crucial role in enhancing the lighting conditions within classrooms. Due to the local climate, classrooms with double-side windows are widely prevalent in southern China; however, these wide windows can sometimes lead to uncomfortable glare and uneven daylight distribution. In response, and to address and improve daylight quality, this study selected some classrooms at Guangxi University as a typical case study. The investigation of indoor daylighting performance and visual comfort was conducted through field surveys (questionnaires), on-site measurements, and software simulations. A comprehensive analysis was conducted using lighting environment metrics, including Daylight Factor (<i>DF</i>), Illuminance Uniformity, Effective Illuminance, Daylight Glare Probability (<i>DGP</i>), and Useful Daylight Illuminance (<i>UDI</i>). The findings revealed that large window glass areas on both sides could lead to high <i>DF</i> values, pronounced glare, and low <i>UDI</i> within classrooms. Subsequently, by analyzing influencing factors such as the window-to-floor ratio, window type, the optical properties of classroom interior surfaces, and window shading devices, strategies for improving daylight quality in these classrooms were proposed. The results of this study provide guidance for future daylighting design in university classrooms in hot and humid regions. Moreover, it offers valuable benefits to a wide range of stakeholders, including researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, while providing crucial insights for improving national building standards in this region.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/11/3501daylighting qualityglarevisual comfortdouble-side windows
spellingShingle Ezzaddeen Ali Mohammed Saeed AL-Mowallad
Xianfeng Huang
Zhen Lu
Xiaofan Li
Kaiwen Wu
Zhirui Zhu
Guohuan Liu
Assessment and Improvement of Daylighting Quality in Classrooms with Double-Side Windows
Buildings
daylighting quality
glare
visual comfort
double-side windows
title Assessment and Improvement of Daylighting Quality in Classrooms with Double-Side Windows
title_full Assessment and Improvement of Daylighting Quality in Classrooms with Double-Side Windows
title_fullStr Assessment and Improvement of Daylighting Quality in Classrooms with Double-Side Windows
title_full_unstemmed Assessment and Improvement of Daylighting Quality in Classrooms with Double-Side Windows
title_short Assessment and Improvement of Daylighting Quality in Classrooms with Double-Side Windows
title_sort assessment and improvement of daylighting quality in classrooms with double side windows
topic daylighting quality
glare
visual comfort
double-side windows
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/11/3501
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