Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Guide to Visual Comfort: An Overview of Indices and Its Applications

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Artificial Intelligence Applications and Innovations. AIAI 2023 IFIP WG 12.5 International Workshops (AIAI 2023)

Part of the book series: IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology ((IFIPAICT,volume 677))

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of millions of people around the world. During this period, many nations have imposed strict “stay at home” restrictions to mitigate the spread of the virus. Consequently, people spent more time at home, and the topic of their comfort and well-being in indoor environments came to the forefront. Prompted by the lack of clarity surrounding the topic of visual comfort, this paper aims to provide a detailed guide on visual comfort, its affecting factors, the way it is assessed and its assessment indices. As it became obvious, visual comfort depends on a lot of factors, is studied through many different lenses, has a variety of indices, and most importantly, is perceived differently from person to person.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Aruga, K., Islam, M.M., Jannat, A.: Does staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic help reduce CO2 emissions? Sustainability 13(15), 8534 (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158534

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Choi, K.R., Heilemann, M.V., Fauer, A., Mead, M.: A second pandemic: mental health spillover from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). J. Am. Psychiatr. Nurses Assoc. 26(4), 340–343 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1177/1078390320919803

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Rohde, L., Larsen, T.S., Jensen, R.L., Larsen, O.K.: Framing holistic indoor environment: definitions of comfort, health and well-being. Indoor Built Environ. 29(8), 1118–1136 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1177/1420326X19875795

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55. Thermal Environment Conditions for Human Occupancy (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Djongyang, N., Tchinda, R., Njomo, D.: Thermal comfort: a review paper. Renewable Sustainable Energy Rev. 14(9), 2626–2640 (2010), ISSN 1364–0321, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2010.07.040

  6. Rindel, J.: Acoustical comfort as a design criterion for dwellings in the future (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Sicurella, F., Evola, G., Wurtz, E.: A statistical approach for the evaluation of thermal and visual comfort in free-running buildings, Energy Build. 47, 402–410 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2011.12.013. ISSN 0378–7788

  8. Kumar, D., Alam, M., Zou, P.X.W., Sanjayan, J.G., Memon, R.A.: Comparative analysis of building insulation material properties and performance. Renewable Sustainable Energy Rev. 131, 110038 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110038, ISSN 1364-0321

  9. Tsirigoti, D., Giarma, C., Tsikaloudaki, K.: Indoor acoustic comfort provided by an innovative preconstructed wall module: sound insulation performance analysis. Sustainability 12(20), 8666 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208666

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Francesco, L., et al.: Acoustic false ceiling in wide rooms, realized by an innovative textile system (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Zhao, Q., Lian, Z., Lai, D.: Thermal comfort models and their developments: a review. Energy Built Environ. 2(1), 21–33 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbenv.2020.05.007. ISSN 2666–1233

  12. Lai, D., Lian, Z., Liu, W., Guo, C., Liu, W., Liu, K., Chen, Q.: A comprehensive review of thermal comfort studies in urban open spaces. Sci. Total Environ. 742, 140092 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140092. ISSN 0048-9697

  13. Lai, D., Liu, W., Gan, T., Liu, K., Chen, Q.: A review of mitigating strategies to improve the thermal environment and thermal comfort in urban outdoor spaces. Sci. Total Environ. 661, 337–353 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.062. ISSN 0048–9697

  14. R. de Dear, J. Xiong, J. Kim, B. Cao, A review of adaptive thermal comfort research since 1998. Energy Build. 214, 109893 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2020.109893. ISSN 0378-7788

  15. Ma, N., Aviv, D., Guo, H., Braham, W.W.: Measuring the right factors: a review of variables and models for thermal comfort and indoor air quality, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Rev. 135, 110436 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110436. ISSN 1364-0321

  16. Zhang, W., Wu, Y., Calautit, J.K.: A review on occupancy prediction through machine learning for enhancing energy efficiency, air quality and thermal comfort in the built environment. Renewable Sustainable Energy Rev. 167, 112704 (2022), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.112704. ISSN 1364-0321

  17. EN 12665. Light and lighting - Basic terms and criteria for specifying lighting requirements. Brussels, Belgium: European Committee for Standardization (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Carlucci, S., Causone, F., De Rosa, F., Pagliano, L.: A review of indices for assessing visual comfort with a view to their use in optimization processes to support building integrated design. Renewable Sustainable Energy Rev. 47, 1016–1033 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.03.062. ISSN 1364–0321

  19. Grzeczkowski, L., et al.: About individual differences in vision. Vision Res. (2017). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.visres.2016.10.006

  20. Campbell, F. W., Gubisch, R. W., (1966), Optical quality of the human eye. The Journal of Physiology, 186 https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp008056.

  21. Tyndall, E.P.T., Gibson, K.S.: Visibility of radiant energy equation. J. Opt. Soc. Am. 9, 403–403 (1924)

    Google Scholar 

  22. https://www.technologyuk.net/science/measurement-and-units/luminous-intensity-and-photometry.shtml

  23. Luminous efficiency function. (2022, October 21). In Wikipedia.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminous_efficiency_function

  24. European Committee for Standardization (CEN). EN 12464–1, Light and Lighting. Lighting of Work Places. Part 1: Indoor Work Places; CEN: Brussels, Belgium (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Bhattarai, H.: Infusing energy efficient illumination design to retrofit existing infrastructures - a case of energy efficient illumination design of multipurpose hall at Jigme Namgyel Engineering College. J. Sci. Technol. Eng. Res. 2(2), 89–100 (2021). https://doi.org/10.53525/jster.1035864

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Ballarini, I., De Luca, G., Paragamyan, A., Pellegrino, A., Corrado, V.: Transformation of an Office Building into a Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB): implications for thermal and visual comfort and energy performance. Energies 12(5), 895 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3390/en12050895

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Carlucci, S., Causone, F., De Rosa, F., Pagliano, L.: A review of indices for assessing visual comfort with a view to their use in optimization processes to support building integrated design, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 47, 1016–1033 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.03.062. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032115002154, ISSN 1364–0321

  28. Color rendering. (2023, February 27). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_rendering

  29. Boyce, P., Hunter, C., Howlett, O.: The benefits of daylight through windows. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  30. Commision Internationale de L’Eclairage (CIE), colour rendering, CIE S 017:2020 ILV: International Lighting Vocabulary, CIE, Viena (2020). https://doi.org/10.25039/s017.2020

  31. Discomfort glare in interior lighting. CIE Technical Committee 3–13. CIE 117–1995. 1995

    Google Scholar 

  32. Khele, I., Szabó, M.: A Comprehensive Review of the Indoor Visual Comfort Indices and the Effect of Semi-Transparent Building-Integrated Photovoltaics on the Visual Comfort Indoors. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4090232 or https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4090232

  33. Acosta, I., Munoz, C., Campano, M.A., Navarro, J.: Analysis of daylight factors and energy saving allowed by windows under overcast sky conditions. Renewable Energy 77, 194–207 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2014.12.017. ISSN 0960–1481

  34. Nabil, A., Mardaljevic, J.: Useful daylight illuminance: a new paradigm for assessing daylight in buildings. Lighting Res. Technol. - Lighting Res Technol. 37, 41–59 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1191/1365782805li128oa

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. IESNA. The lighting handbook. ninth ed. New York (USA): Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  36. U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED v4. https://www.usgbc.org/leed/v4

  37. Colour rendering index (2022, November 27). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/colour_rendering_index

  38. Wienold, J., Christoffersen, J.: Evaluation methods and development of a new glare prediction model for daylight environments with the use of CCD cameras. Energy Build. 38(7), 743–757 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This work is partially supported by the PRECEPT project, funded by the EU H2020 under Grant Agreement No. 958284.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Watt and Volt S.A., Athens, Greece

    Christos Tzouvaras, Kanela Karatzia & Konstantinos I. Arvanitis

  2. Department of Cultural Technology and Communication, Intelligent Systems Lab, University of the Aegean (UoA), Mytilene, Greece

    Christos Tzouvaras, Asimina Dimara & Christos-Nikolaos Anagnostopoulos

  3. Information Technologies Institute (ITI), Centre for Research Technology Hellas (CERTH), Thessaloniki, Greece

    Asimina Dimara, Alexios Papaioannou, Stelios Krinidis, Dimosthenis Ioannidis & Dimitrios Tzovaras

  4. Management Science and Technology Department, International Hellenic University (IHU), Kavala, Greece

    Alexios Papaioannou & Stelios Krinidis

Authors
  1. Christos Tzouvaras
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Asimina Dimara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alexios Papaioannou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kanela Karatzia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Christos-Nikolaos Anagnostopoulos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Stelios Krinidis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Konstantinos I. Arvanitis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Dimosthenis Ioannidis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Dimitrios Tzovaras
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christos Tzouvaras .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Piraeus, Piraeus, Greece

    Ilias Maglogiannis

  2. Democritus University of Thrace, Xanthi, Greece

    Lazaros Iliadis

  3. Democritus University of Thrace, Xanthi, Greece

    Antonios Papaleonidas

  4. Hellenic Telecom Organization OTE, Athens, Greece

    Ioannis Chochliouros

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 IFIP International Federation for Information Processing

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Tzouvaras, C. et al. (2023). A Guide to Visual Comfort: An Overview of Indices and Its Applications. In: Maglogiannis, I., Iliadis, L., Papaleonidas, A., Chochliouros, I. (eds) Artificial Intelligence Applications and Innovations. AIAI 2023 IFIP WG 12.5 International Workshops. AIAI 2023. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol 677. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34171-7_14

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34171-7_14

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-34170-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-34171-7

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Societies and partnerships

Search

Navigation