A review of automatic control strategies based on simulations for adaptive facades

Abstract Adaptive facades (AFs) are building envelopes that can control occupant’s visual and thermal comfort along enhancing energy savings. However, to achieve this purpose, an appropriate control strategy is needed, in which automatic control strategies facilitate effective utilization of daylight penetration in indoor spaces. In addition, these control strategies are potentially responsible for improving an occupant’s productivity and well-being by preventing discomfort risks while keeping energy in control. This paper reviews simulation-based studies which employed automatic shading control methods for balancing human comfort and energy savings. The main aim of this research is to review the existing literature and identify research gaps in controlling AFs as a pilot study for future investigations. The review basically focuses on simulation approaches towards evaluating the performance of an automatic shading control that employs either open-loop or closed-loop control algorithm. The review concludes that existing studies only investigated automatic shading controls for typical AFs such as roller shades or venetian blinds that could not deliver multi-objective control over diverse human comfort perspectives along reducing energy consumption simultaneously.