Automated blind control to maximize the benefits of daylight in buildings

Abstract

Venetian blinds are a common type of shading device and are increasingly operated automatically to overcome the limitations of manual operation. Automated blinds need to be controlled to maximize benefits of daylight in the point of occupant comfort and energy consumption. However, the previous control methods are focused on minimizing negative impacts of daylight, so they might fail to maximize positive impacts of daylight. They may often overpredict a blind's position, resulting in the undesirable blockage of daylight. In this paper, we propose a new control method for automated venetian blinds to maximize occupant comfort. The proposed control method can not only protect occupants from direct solar glare but also maximize daylight penetration into buildings based on occupants' preferences on daylight. The proposed control method is designed to allow the occupants to define the zone they want protected from direct sunlight. It can control the blinds to protect only the defined zone; therefore, more daylight can be introduced to the other areas, excluding the predetermined zone. A control method for the case of one blind with one zone was developed and then extended for the case of multiple blinds with multiple zones.