Completed PhD Thesis at LIPID

Properly addressing glare risks in buildings is crucial towards achieving comfortable visual environment. It is, therefore, necessary to understand what causes or influences the perception of discomfort glare. Although several empirical glare prediction models have been developed in the last two decades, current models are unable to capture the large inter-individual variability observed in the perception of glare and have limited applicability in certain visual environments. It is evident from literature that not all the factors influencing the discomfort glare perception are known and accounted for in the existing prediction models. Towards this end, we have identified and investigated two potential factors, namely, the color of daylight and macular pigment in the retina for their influence on discomfort glare perception. By the means of three psychophysical experiments conducted in office-like test rooms along with the ocular examinations of the participants, this thesis determines the influence of these factors on discomfort glare from daylight. The results show that the color of daylight have strong influence on human perception of glare. Sun disc filtered through four types of colored glazing of same transmittance create significantly different levels of discomfort glare. While macular pigment density in the retina did not have an influence on sensitivity to glare among young healthy individuals. Findings suggest an improvement in the glare prediction models to include the effect of colored glare sources. Results also lead to a better understanding of the role of posterior ocular parameters in discomfort glare mechanism.

Accepted without reservation, the thesis will be presented to the public on May 11th, 2023.