Design and development of a low-cost glazing measurement system

Knowledge of the properties and performance level of a glazing or translucent component system is necessary for assessing the operational energy use of building or greenhouse structures and proposing potential strategies for saving energy. The study of in situ measurements of the thermal and optical performance of glazing systems has not yet been thoroughly examined. To accomplish this task, a portable and easy-to-use in situ measurement system for key glazing properties that uses the inexpensive Arduino platform and compatible sensors was designed, 3D-printed, and fabricated. The glazing properties that can now be measured include the center-of-glass U-factor, solar transmittance, and visible transmittance. In this method-focused paper, we present the step-by-step development procedure in detail, as well as describe the necessary hardware and codes. One can use the shared files to 3D-print the sensor cases and follow the described procedure to achieve the measuring system hardware. Subsequently, the shared codes, including the calibration functions for the associated hardware and the “self-examination” procedure can be applied to achieve a working system for measurement. In brief, this new method is: • Based on thermodynamic equations and easy-to-use. • Open source, low cost, and simple to assemble. • Able to automatically determine the effectiveness of the output via the developed diagnostic algorithms.