Predicting glare from daylight through microstructures solar control systems using matrix-based simulation methods in Radiance

In this study the five-phase method and a parallelized invocation of evalglare has been used, to evaluate the performance of a microstructure and a Low-E window w/wo external blind, in terms of glare. The first part of the results investigates how Bidirectional-Scattering-Distribution-Functions, BSDF, and aBSDF (Aperture BSDF) properties bias the predicted glare through a microstructure, linking BSDF rank to saturation glare and resolution to contrast glare. The investigation found a combination of correct rank, low resolution and peak extraction (aBSDF) to be the best trade-off between speed and accuracy. The later comparison found none of the investigated systems to be sufficient glare protection. The microstructure was found to outperform the external blinds, using the current shading schedule (9% peak difference in occupied hours exceeding a DGP of 0.45)

Impact of mould and dampness on the prevalence of having asthma in European homes

The occurrence of dampness is one of the major defects in dwellings across Europe, which is typically a result of defective building structures and adverse occupant behaviour. Consequently, dampness is likely to lead to mould growth and other associated structural damages. This paper aims at showing the impact of mould and dampness on the prevalence of having asthma in European homes. To evaluate the magnitude of the effect of mould in homes, a meta-analytic synthesis has been performed. In the case of asthma, the meta-study yielded that the odds ratio of having asthma in a damp and mouldy dwelling is significant with a value of 1.4. The analysis of the prevalence of people having asthma shows, that there is a higher share of people having asthma, if they live in damp or mouldy dwellings