Daylight

This 38-minute course provides comprehensive training on daylight modeling using Radiance 5.2 simulation engine for both residential and commercial building assessments. Through detailed demonstrations and practical examples, participants will master the fundamentals of daylight analysis metrics, model setup, and results interpretation for performance-based design compliance.

Key Course Content

This course establishes the theoretical foundation of daylight modelling metrics available on the platform, introducing you to four primary assessment methods that form the backbone of contemporary daylighting analysis. You'll explore Daylight Factor (DF) for simple indoor-to-outdoor illuminance ratios under overcast conditions, Spatial Daylight Autonomy (SDA) measuring percentage of space achieving target illuminance levels (typically 300 lux) for specified occupied hours annually, Annual Sunlight Exposure (ASE) quantifying direct sunlight exposure over 1000 lux for more than 250 hours yearly, and Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI) categorising lighting conditions into underlit, satisfactory, and overlit zones with time percentages for each category.

You'll dive into practical model configuration and simulation setup, learning to create objectives for Green Star compliance assessments, configure grid settings including height placement (0-0.75m for desk height analysis), and manage custom versus automated grid distribution with boundary offset parameters. The course teaches you surface specification including wall, ceiling, and floor reflectivity values, specularity and roughness parameters, and the critical impact of Visible Light Transmittance (VLT) settings for glazing systems. You'll also explore advanced simulation parameters and Radiance engine settings, understanding low versus high-resolution modelling impacts on computational time and accuracy, ambient bounces, divisions, super samples, and resolution parameters sourced from Radiance developers.

The course extensively covers both browser-based and server-based simulation workflows, including credit system utilisation for complex models with extensive local and surrounding shading that may require 20+ minutes of processing time. You'll master results interpretation and visualisation through detailed walkthroughs of zone-by-zone analysis, colour mapping interpretation, point result visualisation techniques, and custom reporting workflows. Advanced visualisation techniques include data point spacing adjustments, colour scheme modifications, and high-resolution image extraction methods for integration with external reporting tools and PDF documentation that demonstrate professional competency in contemporary daylighting analysis.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will be proficient in configuring comprehensive daylight assessments, interpreting complex simulation results for design optimization, and generating professional compliance documentation meeting performance-based design brief requirements for Australian building standards.

Course Completion

A Certificate of Competency will be awarded upon achieving an 80% pass mark on the final assessment, demonstrating practical understanding of daylight modeling methodology and professional reporting procedures.

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