IES-VE User Forum

I have started to use the new electro-chromic glazing construction option included in the latest VE version.

I have some question regarding it:

1- Is it possible to link it with additional results (i.e. surface temperature), so that it would be eventually possible to control it according to glazing temperature, simulating therefore a thermo-chromic glazing?

2- Is it possible to modulate between the dark and clear state, to account for the intermediate states as well? Is it done via a stepped formula profile?

3- In case the simulation is linked with Radiance, do the simulations in Radiance take into account the different states of the electro-chromic glazing? In this case the dimming profile of the artificial lighting system in Apache, will include the effect of the electro-chromic glazing?

4- In case it is possible to simulate intermediate states of the electro-chromic glazing in ApacheSim, will this be reflected in Radiance?

I hope that someone have already had some experience with electrochromic glazing in IES VE, to answer my questions.

Answering your questions:
1 - The electrochromic glazing can be controlled using any variable but there is no variable for surface temperature in VE. You could look at any of the other variables and maybe consider more complex formula to simulate the thermochromic glazing.
2 - Yes, it is possible to modulate gradually between the two states and this can be done by the control function in electrochromic control tab.
3 - The electrochromic glazing is only applied to the thermal simulation and Radiance does not take it into account. You could simulate the different states in Radiance by assigning different glazing properties or by assigning surface modifiers such as bsdf (bidirectional scattering distribution function) and then running different calculations for each state. If you are using a dimming profile in Apache simulations linked to the Radiance sensors output then an allowance or adjustment should be made to take into account the cloudy state glazing periods and thus reduce effects of the dimming.
4. No, it will not be linked to Radiance automatically - see the answer to question 3 above.

I hope this helps.