The daylight almanac of Indian households: a case of Ahmedabad
Minu Agarwal
CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India
DOI: 10.62744/CATE.45273.1170-49-56
Email: minu.agarwal@cept.ac.in
Abstract:
The aim of this study is to assess the daylight access levels (vertical illuminance) in Indian homes. Daylight access levels in an occupied space on a given day are dependent on three main factors, the prevailing weather conditions, the design of the home, and occupant behavior. This study aims to isolate the effect of occupant interventions that result in lowering the daylight levels inside the home. The occupants may intervene intentionally or unconventionality in ways such as using curtains, hanging laundry, putting up screens, adding plants to balconies, furniture placement, and infrequent cleaning of windows. In this study, these are treated as occupant behavior traits that may impede daylight access.
12 homes in Ahmadabad (hot and dry climate) were monitored for a week each (data logged at 15-minute intervals, October 2022- Jan 2023) for daylight levels received in the living room. The use of electric lighting and activities being carried out by occupants were also monitored. The ideal potential of the home to provide daylight access, if no occupant interventions were present, is estimated using computer simulation. The frequency and duration of occupant interventions are estimated by running correlation tests between prevailing weather and indoor daylight levels.
Keywords: Daylighting, Daylight Access, Residential Buildings, Vertical Illuminance, Occupant/ User Behaviour