Fusing Transformer and diffusion for high-resolution prediction of daylight illuminance and glare based on sparse ceiling-mounted input

Accurate prediction of workplane daylight illuminance and eye-height glare is crucial for lighting control. Existing studies used machine learning to predict illuminance at predetermined locations based on indoor sensors, but they may encounter challenges in scenarios 1) with flexible seating arrangements, 2) with dynamic shading devices, and 3) requiring the prediction of glare. To address these challenges, we proposed a novel method fusing Transformer and Diffusion models, with the input being data collected from sparse ceiling-mounted illuminance sensors, and the outputs being high-resolution workplane illuminance and glare. The model works well for rooms without and with dynamic roller shades. For the former, the mean absolute errors for illuminance below 3000 lx and Daylight Glare Index (DGI) are only 20.77 lx and 0.20, and the error rates in detecting illuminance <500 lx and DGI>22 are only 0.85 % and 5.55 %. For the more complicated latter case, the aforementioned four numbers are 34.78 lx, 0.59, 2.47 % and 23.13 %. The model significantly outperforms the linear and the ANN models, particularly in glare prediction. The influence of sensor number and placement strategy on model performance was also revealed. The model can potentially enhance lighting control, especially in cases with dynamic shading, with flexible seating arrangements, and where glare is of interest.