Daylighting potential use by office building users‘ profiles in a tropical climate

Abstract This article focuses on the influence of the user's profile on the daylighting potential of an office building in a tropical climate, often characterised by blinds closed by the occupants due to discomfort stimuli. Based on field assessments, three simplified profiles for closing and opening curtains were modelled: active, passive, and intermediate. The climate of Natal/RN and a reference model with an East-facing opening were selected to represent the high availability of daylighting in the early hours of the day. Four window-to-wall rates (WWR) and three types of fenestration were modelled: exposed, with 100% visible sky factor (VSF), fixed and mobile shading devices, with three VSFs each. The results of the DIVA 4.0 hourly simulations were calculated according to closed curtains during light discomfort, and reopened curtains according to user profile. The results confirmed: low daylighting potential in most cases due to the user’s response; the influence of user profile regarding the reopening of the curtain, which can triple the daylighting potential; and the best performance achieved with mobile devices due to a more refined control of the entrance of daylight.