Multicriteria decision aid analysis for the optimum performance of an ambient light sensor: methodology and case study

Lighting corresponds to a significant amount of a building’s total energy consumption, hence a variety of alternatives exist so as to minimize the energy consumption used for lighting such as the installation of energy efficient light sources and the exploitation of lighting controls and more significantly daylight harvesting. The position of an ambient light sensor that adjusts artificial lighting according to daylight levels is a key factor that affects the operation of any daylight harvesting system. This paper presents a multicriteria decision aid method to find the optimal position for the installation of an ambient light sensor, thus optimizing the performance of daylight exploitation system. Three criteria are proposed namely visual comfort, energy saving and the coefficient of correlation between the illuminance on the working plane and the illuminance perceived by the sensor on the ceiling. The multicriteria method PROMETHEE II is applied so as to evaluate 30 alternative positions and deduce the optimal one in an office room. The proposed methodology is flexible and highly customizable and can contribute significantly to the efficient commissioning of any daylight harvesting system.