Center for the Built Environment

Exposure to sunlight indoors produces a substantial effect on an occupant’s comfort and on the air conditioning energy needed to correct for it, yet has in the past not been considered in design or thermal comfort standards. A public online model of the effects of solar radiation on human heat gain and comfort has been developed to make this possible. The model’s predictions compare closely with results from a human subject test, and can be used to determine the allowable transmittance of fenestration in a perimeter office.