The Impact of Evaluated Daylight to the Total Light Ratio on the Comfort Level in Office Buildings

Abstract

One of the main challenges in visual comfort assessment is controlling daylight in indoor spaces. The effect of daylight’s contribution to total light is one of the variables influencing how people perceive illumination in an indoor environment. This study investigates the optimal day-light-to-total light ratio that delivers the most satisfaction with the lighting environment. Therefore, a subjective survey of 509 questionnaires and field measurements in six office buildings in Tehran with a total of 257 rooms was conducted to assess lighting quality (daylight and artificial light). Furthermore, the effects of building characteristics and seasons on the acceptable range of daylight ratio are investigated. The results reveal that occupants prefer daylight to total light ratio ranging between 0.56 and 0.8. In contrast, occupants reported that a ratio less than 0.4 was unacceptable. It was also found that the optimum daylight-to-total light ratio is influenced by the season and the building characteristics.