LAUSR

Abstract Calculation methods for the energy demand of buildings require the evaluation of the solar energy which is transmitted indoors through the transparent elements of the building envelope. This energy contributes to raise indoor temperature. Some of the outdoor solar beam and diffuse radiation impinging on the exterior surface of the glazings is transmitted indoors and is diffusely reflected on interior surface. After multiple diffuse reflections between walls and glazings, a proportion of this incoming radiation is absorbed by the opaque walls and the interior surface of the glazings raising the indoor temperature. The objective of this study is to present analytical solutions for a very simple room with a glazing subjected to solar radiation with a normal angle of incidence. Namely, this study yields analytical expressions for: (i) the effective absorptance, (ii) the back absorptance of the glazing subjected to indoor diffuse irradiance and (iii) the indoor temperature. The effective absorptance of the room is compared with that obtained in Ref. [1] and advanced numerical simulations are carried out by means of IDA ICE [2] to validate the analytical expression for the indoor temperature.