Evaluation of solar glare from reflective facades: A general method
Lighting Research & Technology
Published online on March 05, 2015
Abstract
Solar reflections from buildings can cause veiling glare, which reduces visibility and may increase the risk of traffic accidents. A veiling glare assessment typically includes two steps. Firstly, identifying the number of reflections that are geometrically possible, and secondly, quantifying if these reflections are sufficiently intense as to cause glare. Current methods of assessment address the first step but become laborious when calculating the intensity of the reflections. This is due to the geometrical complexity and the potential number of reflections. The new method presented in this paper demonstrates greater simplicity than previous approaches whilst providing a clearer graphical output with the aid of ray-tracing software.