System and method for the optimization of radiance modelling and controls in predictive daylight harvesting

A daylight harvesting lighting modelling system comprising:

• a logic subsystem;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer readable instructions, which, when executed by the logic subsystem, cause the daylight harvesting lighting modelling system to:
• assign diffusion characteristics to a virtual representation of the transition surface (“virtual transition surface”) based on diffusion properties of a material of the transition surface;
• assign a unique identifier to each virtual exterior element in a virtual representation of the exterior environment (“virtual exterior environment”) and to each virtual interior element in a virtual representation of the interior environment (“virtual interior environment”);
• select a first set of directions in a half-space defined by the virtual transition surface, the diffusion characteristics, and the virtual exterior environment;
• select a second set of directions in another half-space defined by the virtual transition surface, the diffusion characteristics, and the virtual interior environment;
• choose a position on the virtual transition surface for each of the first set of directions;
• select a first direction from the first set of directions;
• and
• for the first direction:
• trace an exterior ray from the chosen position on the virtual transition surface in the first direction to the closest virtual exterior element;
• assign the unique identifier of said closest virtual exterior element to the exterior ray;
• select a second direction from the second set of directions;
• trace an interior ray from the chosen position on the virtual transition surface in the second direction to the closest virtual interior element;
• assign the unique identifier of said closest virtual exterior element as an attribute to said closest virtual interior element;
• and
• indirectly determine another element attribute transferred from said closest virtual exterior element to said closest virtual interior element by way of the unique identifier of said closest virtual exterior element.

A predictive daylight harvesting system, comprising a controller that:

• is connected to at least one luminaire and at least one fenestration device in a building;
• reads input data from one or more sensors and information feeds, the sensors and information feeds including daylight photosensors, occupancy sensors, timers, personal lighting controls, weather report feeds, and energy storage controllers, the occupancy sensors being located in the building's interior environment;
• calculates effects of variable building design parameters on the building's environmental characteristics;
• determines diffusion characteristics of a transition surface between an exterior environment and the interior environment of the building;
• outputs controller command signals to the luminaire and fenestration device in order to maximize an optimal light distribution in the building while maintaining selected occupant requirements for the building's environmental characteristics;
• includes virtual representations of the transition surface and the building's exterior and interior environments, including geometry and material properties of objects that influence a distribution of daylight, diffused light, and artificial luminous flux within the exterior and interior environments;
• accesses the virtual representations;
• uses the virtual representations to generate the controller command signals;
• receives and processes information about the luminaire, including photometric and electrical properties of the luminaire;
• and
• uses the information to generate the controller command signals.