Rapid algorithm for modeling daylight distributions in office buildings

We present a daylighting simulation tool, designed to predict the distribution of daylight in an office room using a rapid calculation procedure. Results from this simulation are compared to the output from a professional rendering program, and are found to agree within 10% normalized error. A method for finding average light levels in an office room is described, and these calculations are used to infer a minimum required energy cost to supplement daylighting with artificial lighting. Finally, we present programming strategies that have been used to reduce computation times from 15 min to 3–5 s.