Development of an Automated Split Control System for Blinds

Commercially available blinds are occasionally part of the building's thermal and lighting environmental control systems. Inappropriate application of blinds increases the use of electrical lighting, cooling loads for a building and consequently, the total energy consumption. The purpose of this research was to develop a new, automated, split control system for adjusting blinds. This system adjusts the blinds for different tilt angles at a particular point in time depending on the position of the blinds within the height of the window. The research objectives were: (1) developing a framework for the automated split control of blinds, (2) developing a control algorithm for a split system, (3) validating the split control system by conducting a case study for two automated blind control systems (conventional and split). Computer simulations were performed to calculate the illuminance levels in a building and energy consumption as a result of the application of these two blind systems. The research findings showed that the split controlled blinds provided higher illuminance in the back of the room, lower energy consumption for electrical lighting and thus, energy savings for a building compared to conventionally controlled blinds.