Impact of building design parameters on daylighting metrics using an analysis, prediction, and optimization approach based on statistical learning technique

Abstract

Daylighting metrics are used to predict the daylight availability within a building and assess the performance of a fenestration solution. In this process, building design parameters are inseparable from these metrics; therefore, we need to know which parameters are truly important and how they impact performance. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between building design attributes and existing daylighting metrics based on a new methodology we are proposing. This methodology involves statistical learning. It is an emerging methodology that helps us to analyze a large quantity of output data and the impact of a large number of design variables. In particular, we can use these statistical methodologies to analyze which features are important, which ones are not, and the type of relationships they have. Using these techniques, statistical models may be created to predict daylighting metric values for different building types and design solutions. In this article we will outline how this methodology works, and analyze the building design features that have the strongest impact on daylighting performance.