• Architectural research
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.47-54
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• 2005

A photoelectric dimming control system for a small private office space with a double skin envelope system was analyzed for the purpose of examining optimum control performances under a variety of daylight conditions. Computer simulations were performed for the three different photosensor types positioned at the center of ceiling in the space. They were applied in both a south and north-facing room. Daylight conditions were a fixed horizontal venetian blind on an external envelope and a retractable shading device on an internal envelope under a clear, intermediate and overcast sky at different times of a day and year. Partially-shielded photosensors provided good control performances providing the required electric light output under clear and intermediate sky conditions. Unshielded photosensors failed to provide necessary illuminance levels producing less electric output and fully-shielded photosensors generally provided excessive light output. Reasonable electric lighting energy savings were achieved except under overcast sky conditions where the control system did not contribute to energy savings due to the less daylight through envelopes. The retractable shading device covering 50% of the internal envelope reduced energy savings up to 19.62%, but the workplane illuminance levels were maintained within recommended ranges. The coefficients of determination between workplane illuminance and photosensor illuminance due to daylight ranged from 0.74 to 0.98. Partially-shielded conditions provided best correlations and the north-facing room yielded stronger correlation than the south-facing room.