Glare and

Diffuse Sources
Characterizing
Glare

Nathaniel Jones, PhD

Building Physicist
3 Questions

What is How do we How do we

Glare? Measure Glare? Predict Glare?
What is
Glare?
Disability Glare

E Patterson / Understanding Disability Glare Lee Sullivan / Lake Norman Media

Failure to form a retinal image due to excessive brightness or low contrast

Discomfort Glare

Alstan Jakubiec / Christoph Reinhart Naomi Miller / PNNL

Pain caused by object in the field of view that is brighter than the luminance to which the observer is adapted
Visible Range

We perceive only 3 orders of magnitude in luminance without adjusting our eyes

Christoph Reinhart / Daylighting Handbook and Peter Lamb

Rules of Thumb
Field of View 85°
Overhead
Glare 55°
Zone

Field of View
Assumption:
0°
Don’t look up!

Based on IES DG-18-08

Rules of Thumb
Contrast Ratio

Far objects: 1:10

Near objects: 1:3

Note:
Not backed by
scientific study

Based on IESNA Lighting Handbook, 9th edition

 Colors might “clash”
but

Color is not considered in glare

How do we
Measure
Glare?
Photographing Glare

Jan Wienold and Jens Christoffersen, 2006

Glare Metrics
Number of Sources Luminance of Glare Source Size of Glare Source
More sources → Worse glare Brighter source → Worse glare Bigger source → Worse glare

𝑛 𝑒𝑥𝑝
𝐿𝑖 𝜔𝑖
𝐺𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑒 = ෍ 𝑒𝑥𝑝 𝑒𝑥𝑝
𝐿𝑏 𝑃𝑖
𝑖=1

Background Luminance Position Index

Darker scene → Worse glare Central source → Worse glare
Luminance vs Contrast
How Big is the Light Source?

Large solid angle Small solid angles

25-30,000 cd/m2 1.5 million cd/m2

CIE JTC7 provides an approach for calculating “effective” luminous area

Position Index

Brow
Shaded

Center of View
High sensitivity

Nose
Shaded
Glare Metrics CIE Glare Index
𝑛
1 + 𝐸𝑑 Τ500 𝐿2𝑖 𝜔𝑖
Visual Comfort Probability 𝐶𝐺𝐼 = 8 × log10 2 ෍ 2
𝐸𝑑 + 𝐸𝑖 𝑃𝑖
𝑛 𝑛−0.0914 𝑖=1
0.5𝐿𝑖 20.4𝜔𝑖 + 1.53𝜔𝑖0.2 − 0.075
𝑉𝐶𝑃 = 279 − 110 × log10 ෍ 10.44
𝐸𝑎𝑣𝑔 𝑃𝑖
𝑖=1

𝑛 𝑒𝑥𝑝 Unified Glare Rating

𝐿𝑖 𝜔𝑖 𝑛
𝐺𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑒 = ෍ 𝑒𝑥𝑝 𝑒𝑥𝑝 𝑈𝐺𝑅 = 8 × log10
0.25 𝐿2𝑖 𝜔𝑖
෍ 2
𝐿𝑏 𝑃𝑖 𝐿𝑏 𝑃𝑖
𝑖=1
𝑖=1
For in between sources
Daylight Glare Probability Electric lights
𝑛
𝐿2𝑖 𝜔𝑖
𝐷𝐺𝑃 = 5.87 × 10−5 𝐸𝑣 + 0.0918 × log10 1 + ෍ 1.87 2 + 0.16 Daylight Glare Index
𝐸𝑣 𝑃𝑖 𝑛
𝑖=1
𝐿1.6
𝑖 Ω𝑖
0.8
𝐷𝐺𝐼 = 10 × log10 0.48 ෍
𝐿𝑏 + 0.07𝜔𝑖0.5 𝐿𝑖
𝑖=1
For large diffuse sources For small bright sources
Sky Sun
Glare Metrics

DGP DGI UGR VCP CGI

Imperceptible <0.35 <18 <13 80 – 100 <13
Perceptible 0.35 – 0.40 18 – 24 13 – 22 60 – 80 13 – 22
Disturbing 0.40 – 0.45 24 – 31 22 – 28 40 – 60 22 – 28
Intolerable >0.45 >31 >28 <40 >28
For Daylight For Electric Light
Unified Glare Rating Limit

UGR UGR-L
Imperceptible <13
Technical drawing 16
Perceptible 13 – 22 Offices 19
Reception areas 22
Archives, stairs and lifts 25
Disturbing 22 – 28
Corridors and passageways 28
Intolerable >28
EN 12464-1
How do we Predict Glare?
Simulation
Simulations can match reality with extreme closeness … … and now many
software products
let you do this

Ladybug
Tools

Simulation HDR Photograph

30 300 3000 30000

cd/m2
360° Glare

Lesson:
Your view direction,
the room shape, and
its furniture and
finishes matter!

Imperceptible Perceptible Disturbing Intolerable

Alstan Jakubiec
Reported Luminaire “Glare”

Note:
This is not what the
occupant experiences

UGR = 23
Accelerad
In Summary

Glare happens when there is too We can measure glare using Glare measurement must account
much luminance for the eye to photography or simulation for the luminaire, the room, and the
(comfortably) handle – but existing metrics are imperfect viewer
Glare and
Diffuse Sources
Characterizing
Glare

Nathaniel Jones, PhD

Building Physicist
nathaniel.jones@arup.com