Abstract
Buildings must play a major role in decarbonising our existing energy system. Shading devices are essential to control solar gains and improve the comfort of occupants in buildings. Dynamic shading systems, such as Venetian blinds or Electrochromic (EC) glazing, have variable optical and thermal properties and can be used to regulate solar gains depending on when they are needed. Dynamic façades must be coupled with a suitable control strategy.
Using rule-based control is a simple way of controlling shading by comparing multiple environmental inputs to certain thresholds, although the choice of these thresholds can be difficult. Parametric simulation allows for a range of combinations of variables (control thresholds) to be tested, letting the designer test extreme or unusual scenarios with minimal effort. The results of parametric simulation are often not a single optimal solution, but a range of optimal compromises. The designer is then free to choose their optimal solution. Other than the solutions themselves, such a wide range of testing also gives designers a deeper insight into the behaviour of their buildings.