8.0 Photosensor Generator

The Photosensor generator Screen provides optimal photocell location recommendations and allows the user to define other photosensor scenarios for further analysis, see a screen shot to the right. Upon arriving on the screen, for each luminaire zone added to the SPOT model (1-4), a default photosensor name and photocell type is automatically entered into the Photosensor Definition Table. To finish the photosensor definition the sensor location and aiming need to be defined and can either be filled out manually or optimal locations can be generated automatically.

Isometric and Reflected Ceiling Plan diagrams are on the top of the screen and illustrate the location, orientation, and aiming of any of the photosensor scenarios defined in the table. The Isometric shows the photosensor as a single mark but the Reflected Ceiling Plan illustrate the orientation and aiming with three symbols ( ). The black asterisk indicates the Photocell Location, the red diamond indicates the direction the Photocell Aiming, and the red asterisk indicates the Photocell Rotation. Many photosensors are rotationally symmetric but some are not and the rotation can make a difference.

The Auto-Generate Photocell Position button will generate the Photosensor Correlation plots for each selected photosensor scenario. These plots indicate the optimal photosensor location for each zone. The optimal location will also be automatically entered into the Photosensor Definition Table.

The Back button can be used at any point to reture to the daylighting and electric design results. Note that if any changes are made they may require recalculation to return to this screen.

The Next button will initiate the most extensive set of calculations begin indicated by the dos-window, shown to the right. All the photosensor scenarios listed in the table will be calculated under each electric lighting zone and a more complete set of representative daylighting conditions (defined by the analysis time step on the Advanced Options screen). Included is a set of calculations that will update the workplane illuminances under the same set of daylighting conditions.

A transitional Final Calculations screen is then displayed while waiting for the final set of calculations to finish. On this screen the user can generate and save both an interactive view and four cross-sectional views of the space. The day condition shown in these renderings will be the same as the last condition selected on the Daylight Results page.

The View Sections button will initiate the calculation of several sectional renderings, if the renderings option was not set to yes on the Advanced Options page, and then take the user to an images page, shown to the left. These renderings represent four cross-sectional views of a sunny equinox day at noon.

The Interactive View button will initiate an interactive rendering using the radiance ‘rvu’ program, see ‘rvu’ instruction here.