Simulation study of a virtual natural lighting solutions prototype : validation and analysis

Introduction The benefit of natural light and view from windows in buildings has been widely reported (e.g. Berman et al., 2008; Aries et al., 2010). However, there are some situations in which natural light is absent, for example, due to hygienic or safety reasons. To answer this challenge, the concept of Virtual Natural Lighting Solutions (VNLS), which are systems that can artificially provide natural lighting as well as a realistic outside view with properties comparable to those of real windows and skylights, is proposed. This study aims to find how a certain VNLS prototype influences the indoor lighting condition and visual comfort. In particular, this study focuses on lighting measurement and simulation of a 'second generation' VNLS prototype. Two objectives are defined: (1) to validate the illuminance distribution results obtained from Radiance simulation (Ward & Shakespeare, 1998) with the ones obtained from measurement, by evaluating the interior lighting condition inside the test room; and (2) to determine the effect of various prototypes configurations on the space availability, uniformity, and visual comfort in the test room.