System and method of glare assessment

Abstract

A system and method of glare assessment. The method comprises generating a layout corresponding to a plurality of reflective surfaces and a structural context in an environment, wherein each of the plurality of reflective surfaces is independently defined by at least one geometrical parameter and at least one location parameter; and using ray tracing on the layout, determining a respective glare occurrence for each of at least one viewpoint location in the environment over a time duration, wherein the respective glare occurrence corresponds to a count of instances in which the corresponding one of the at least one viewpoint location receives reflected light from the plurality of reflective surfaces.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD OF GLARE ASSESSMENTCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to the Singapore application no.10202500790P filed 26 March, 2025, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] This application relates generally to the field of computer-implemented environmental impact analysis, and more particularly, to a system for glare assessment, and a method of glare assessment.BACKGROUND

[0003] With the deployment and proliferation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in urban environments as part of the energy transition, glare assessments in urban settings have gained attention. Sources of glare (e g., from PV panels, windows or curtain walls) may adversely affect one or more persons in the vicinity, potentially affecting visibility or even causing damages to eyesight. For example, PV panels in the airport vicinity may affect pilots during flight as well as personnel in the control towers. In road settings, glare hazards from PV panels may pose risks to drivers and pedestrians alike. However, due to complexity in the urban environments, various challenges are present in glare assessment.SUMMARY

[0004] According to an aspect, disclosed herein a system. The system comprises: memory storing instructions; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to process the storedinstructions to implement: a module configured to perform a method of glare assessment, the method including: generating a layout comprising a plurality of reflective surfaces and a structural context in an environment, wherein each of the plurality of reflective surfaces is independently defined by at least one geometrical parameter and at least one location parameter; and using ray tracing on the layout, determining a respective glare occurrence for each of at least one viewpoint location in the environment over a time duration, wherein the respective glare occurrence corresponds to a count of instances in which the corresponding one of the at least one viewpoint location receives reflected light from the plurality of reflective surfaces.

[0005] According to another aspect, disclosed herein a method of glare assessment, comprising: generating a layout corresponding to a plurality of reflective surfaces and a structural context in an environment, wherein each of the plurality of reflective surfaces is independently defined by at least one geometrical parameter and at least one location parameter; and using ray tracing on the layout, determining a respective glare occurrence for each of at least one viewpoint location in the environment over a time duration, wherein the respective glare occurrence corresponds to a count of instances in which the corresponding one of the at least one viewpoint location receives reflected light from the plurality of reflective surfaces.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the following drawings:FIG. 1 is a parametric view of a system for glare assessment according to embodiments of the present disclosure,FIGs. 2A and 2B are parametric views of a system for glare assessment, illustrating a movement of a light source according to various embodiments;FTG. 3 is a parametric view of a plurality of reflective surfaces according to various embodiments,FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method of glare assessment according to various embodiments; FIG. 5 illustrates a workflow for the 3D glare assessment tool of an exemplary implementation; FIG. 6 illustrates a glare hazard plot;FIG. 7 illustrates the location of four different types of viewpoints of the exemplary implementation;FIGs. 8A and 8B illustrate the time and annual glare occurrences at hourly intervals for PV installations tilted at 10° with an azimuth of 90° of the exemplary implementation;FIGs. 9A to 9D are visualisations of annual glare occurrences on viewpoint planes and PV panels tilted at 10° with varying azimuth angles of 10° (FIG. 9A), 90° (FIG. 9B), 190° (FIG.9C), and 280° (FIG. 9D);FIGs. 10A and 10B illustrate yellow glare occurrences reduced by different mitigation strategies for PV installations tilted at 10° with an azimuth of 90°;FIG. 11 illustrates annual yellow glare occurrences of 12 different PV deployment with four orientations and three tilt angles; andFIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a processor system.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0007] The following detailed description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings, showing details and embodiments of the present disclosure for the purposes of illustration. Features that are described in the context of an embodiment may correspondingly be applicable to the same or similar features in the other embodiments, even if not explicitly described in these other embodiments. Additions and / or combinations and / or alternatives as described for a feature in the context of an embodiment may correspondingly be applicable to the same or similar feature in the other embodiments.

[0008] Tn the context of various embodiments, the articles “a”, “an” and “the” as used with regard to a feature or element include a reference to one or more of the features or elements.

[0009] In the context of various embodiments, the term “about” or “approximately” as applied to a numeric value encompasses the exact value and a reasonable variance as generally understood in the relevant technical field, e.g., within 10% of the specified value.

[0010] As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0011] As used herein, terms “concurrently”, “simultaneously”, “at the same time”, or the like, may refer to events or actions that coincide or overlap within a period of time, regardless of whether the events start at the same time instant, and regardless of whether the events end at the same time instant.

[0012] As used herein, the term “environment” may be used interchangeably with the terms “surrounding”, “location”, “city”, “vicinity”, “airport”, “road”, “town”, etc. and may generally refer to a location of interest for performing glare assessment.

[0013] With the deployment and proliferation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in urban environments as part of the energy transition, glare assessments in urban settings have gained attention. However, due to complexity in the urban environments, various challenges are present in glare assessment. Conventional approaches towards glare assessment typically involve computation of glare based on a direct line-of-sight to obtain a deterministic glare computation. Other approaches involve probabilistic methods taking into consideration the position of viewpoint(s) within a predetermined radius, such as a 100-meter radius. However, these approaches are often overly simplified and do not accurately represent / predict the actual glare experienced by persons in the vicinity. Such simplified approaches pose a challenge for the installation of PV panels in environments such as the airport environment, which is typically suitable for PV panel installation due to the large spaces available, but is often infeasible dueto the detrimental effects of glare on flight safety. Similarly, in a road traffic environment, such as on a highway, the prescence of glare may pose a risk to road safety.

[0014] The present application relates to the field of computer-implemented environmental impact analysis. In various aspects, the present application relates to methods and systems for performing 3D glare analysis of reflective surfaces, such as photovoltaic panels and building facades, using geospatial models, solar position calculations, and visibility analysis to evaluate potential glare effects on observers.

[0015] According to an aspect of the present application, disclosed herein is a proposed system for glare assessment and a method of glare assessment, addressing the above challenges. In addition to glare assessment, the proposed system and method enable glare mitigation in response to determining an unacceptable degree of glare hazard. According to various embodiments, the proposed system and method may perform glare assessment or glare analysis based on reflective surfaces, which may include PV panels and reflective materials such as glass. The proposed system may be implementable or applicable in urban, airport, and transportation route environments or other contexts.

[0016] According to various embodiments, the proposed system and method may utilise 3D geometric computations and ray tracing techniques to assess potential glare hazards. This may be in addition to considerations relating to the interplay of light (from source light or reflected light), surface reflection, as well as structural elements that obstruct the light rays, such as buildings and / or terrain.

[0017] According to various embodiments, the proposed system and method may estimate the total glare occurrences for any viewpoint during any time instance(s) or over a time duration. The proposed system and method may take into account obstructions in the line-of-sight between the light source (e.g. the sun) and the glare source (e.g. PV panels or solar installations) and / or between the glare source and the viewpoints. In addition, the system and method mayprovide visualisations for visualizing area which may experience glare, in addition to classifying the severity of glare in order to further identify any glare hazard(s). The proposed system and method may also provide mitigation plan(s) to address excessive glare as well as to quantify the effect of the mitigation plan(s), to achieve a reduction in the occurrences of glare.

[0018] According to various embodiments, the proposed system and method may take into consideration complex structural and / or architectural features, such as curved, double-curved (e.g., domes), as well as any irregularly shaped reflective surfaces.

[0019] According to various embodiments, for the purpose of PV panel arrangements and / or installations, the proposed system and method may generate PV layout autonomously, thus enabling users to define parameters like orientation, tilt angle, and footprint while factoring in shading and reflected sunlight. This automation aids in time saving and improves flexibility for subsequent glare assessment. In addition, the system may be integrated with geo-referenced 3D modelling, thus allowing an accurate real-world placement and glare assessment.

[0020] In various embodiments, the system may be configured for computation of large-scale and complex models, thus may be suitable for large-scale projects or real-time simulations, improving productivity and reducing project timelines The system may efficiently process large datasets and complex models, enabling a detail-intensive or minute-level glare analysis. The system is also versatile across different contexts or environments, such as the urban environment, the airport environment and the road traffic environment. The proposed system 100 may also be adapted for other environments, providing a broad range of applications.

[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 for glare assessment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The system 100 may comprise a processor 900 configured to perform a method of glare assessment over a time duration, such as over an hour, a day, a week, a month, a year, etc.

[0022] Referring to FIG 1, according to various embodiments, the system 100 for glare assessment may generate a layout 80 comprising one or more structural context 81 / 82 and one or more reflective surfaces 110 of an environment 90. The layout 80 may be a virtual layout of the environment 90 in a 3-dimensional (3D) space or 3D visualisation space. As an example, the layout 80 may be a virtual representation or rendering of a city zone 90. The layout 80 may comprise one or more reflective surfaces 100, such as one or more photo-voltaic (PV) panels in one or more PV sites. The layout 80 may also comprise structural context 81 / 82 or structural elements, such as buildings, pathways, and roads in the environment 90. In various embodiments, the system 100 may include complex structural elements / components in the structural context 81 / 82, such as buildings with curved surface(s) and / or irregular geometries. This enables a more accurate representation and glare assessment for the environment 90. This enables glare assessment for challenging surfaces such as domes, double-curved facades, and irregularly shaped reflective area.

[0023] In various embodiments, the system 100 may obtain and / or receive the structural context 81 / 82 of the environment 90 from a map, such as a geospatial basemap. Additionally or alternatively, the system 100 may obtain and / or receive the structural context 81 / 82 of the environment 90 from a public database.

[0024] In various embodiments, the system 100 may be compatible with geo-referenced 3D modelling for a precise real -world alignment with the environment 90. The system 100 may integrate geo-referenced data, allowing users to position reflective surfaces accurately within real-world coordinates. This enables the glare analysis to be spatially accurate, enabling accurate glare assessment for urban planners in airports and transportation projects where location-specific precision is crucial.

[0025] In various embodiments, each of the one or more reflective surfaces 110 may be independently defined by at least one geometrical parameter and at least one location parameter.The geometrical parameter may generally refer to a physical attribute of the reflective surface 110. The location parameter may generally refer to a locational attribute of the reflective surface 110. As examples, the geometrical parameters may include, but is not limited to, one or more of: a dimension, a tilt angle, and an azimuth of each reflective surface 110. As examples, the location parameter may include, but is not limited to, one or more of: a location, a relative location, a coordinate in 3D, a distance from a reference point In other words, each of the reflective surfaces 110 may be located and / or oriented independently from other reflective surfaces 110. In various embodiments, the system 100 may obtain the geometrical parameters and / or the location parameters of the reflective surfaces 110 from a database or allow a user to define the geometrical parameters and / or the location parameters, i.e. during PV site planning.

[0026] In various embodiments, the layout 80 may further comprise a light source 87, such as a sun. In various embodiments, the system 100 may determine a position of the light source 87 in the environment 90 and the layout 80. Referring to FIGs. 2A and 2B, the system 100 may update the position 87A / 87B of the light source 87 over a time period, and hence, the position of the light source 87 may be variable over the time period.

[0027] Referring again to FIG. 1 , in various embodiments, the layout 80 may comprise one or more viewpoint locations 120. The viewpoint locations 120 may be defined as positions in the layout 80 (or environment 90) in which glare assessment may be relevant or of interest. For example, the viewpoint location may correspond to a building window or a display screen on a building, in which excessive glare causes detriment to viewing. It may be appreciated that a plurality of viewpoint locations may be configured in the layout 80 if the motivation of the glare assessment is to locate locations with excessive glare in the environment 90.

[0028] In various embodiments, the system 100 may comprise 3D ray tracing capability which accurately simulates how sunlight interacts with reflective surfaces by considering real-world elements like building shadows and obstructions. In other words, the ray tracing may bea 3-dimensional ray tracing. This allows precise glare assessment in complex urban environments where direct line-of-sight assumptions are often inadequate.

[0029] Still referring to FIG. 1, according to various embodiments, by using ray tracing on the layout 80, the system 100 for glare assessment may determine a glare occurrence for each of the one or more viewpoint locations 120 in the environment 90. Glare occurrences may be determined using a 3D-raytracing process that evaluates the spatial relationship between the sun, reflective surfaces, and observation points within the layout 80 (or a three-dimensional environment). The three-dimensional model of the environment may first be obtained or generated, including buildings, terrain, and reflective surfaces such as photovoltaic panels or building facades. Reflective surfaces 110 and one or more viewpoint locations 120 (or observation points) representing potential glare receptors may be defined within the layout 80 or the three-dimensional model. Solar position parameters, including solar azimuth and elevation angles, may be determined or computed for specified time intervals based on geographic location, date, and time. For each reflective surface 110 and time step, the direction of reflected sunlight or reflected rays may be determined according to the physical law of reflection using the surface normal and incident solar direction. The system may then evaluate whether each of the reflected rays is directed toward any viewpoint location 120 or observation point A visibility or line-of-sight analysis may subsequently be performed to determine whether the respective reflected ray path is unobstructed by surrounding objects between the reflective surface and the observation point. When the respective reflected ray is directed toward the observation point and the path is unobstructed, the event is identified as a glare occurrence. Glare occurrence(s) may then be aggregated over time to determine glare frequency and duration for each viewpoint location 120 or observation point.

[0030] In various embodiments, the glare occurrence may correspond to a count of instances in which the viewpoint location 120 receives reflected light from the plurality of reflectivesurfaces 110 Tn other words, glare occurrence counts the number of light reflections received by the viewpoint location 120 from all of the reflective surfaces 110. This may correspond to an amount of reflected light or glare received by the viewpoint location. Referring to FIGs. 2A and 2B, the glare occurrence counts may take into consideration the structural context 81 / 82 in the environment, such as shadows 88A / 88B or shades formed due to the position of the sun relative to the structures / buildings, as well as other structural contexts such as curves or complex structural surfaces. In various embodiments, the system 100 may determine the glare occurrence over a time duration, such that a total amount of reflected light over the time duration may be computed or determined by the system 100.

[0031] In various embodiments, to determine the respective glare occurrence for each of the one or more viewpoint locations 120 in the environment 90, the system 100 may perform ray tracing from each of the one or more viewpoint locations 120 to the light source 87 and identify a respective glare spot count for each of the plurality of reflective surfaces 110 over the time duration. The glare spot count may correspond to the total number of glare spots (or light spots) on the corresponding reflective surface 110. In addition, the system 100 may determine the respective glare occurrence for each of the one or more viewpoint locations 120 over the time duration, based on the respective glare spot counts. In some embodiments, the glare occurrence may be a sum of glare spots or glare events associated with the plurality of reflective surfaces 110 over the time duration.

[0032] The term “glare spot” on a corresponding reflective surface may refer to the physical location on the reflective surface where incident sunlight is reflected toward viewpoint locations 120 or an observer at the viewpoint locations 120. In addition, the “glare occurrence” of a reflective surface may refer to a numerical count of glare events associated with the reflective surface over a specified time period. Hence, the “glare occurrence” of multiple reflective surfaces may refer to a numerical count of glare events associated with the multiple reflectivesurfaces over the time duration. In other words, the glare spot represents the spatial position of the reflection on the surface, whereas glare occurrence represents the frequency or number of such glare events detected during the analysis.

[0033] In various embodiments, the position of the light source or the sun 87 may be variable over the time duration, such as an hour, a day, a week, a month, a year, etc. Therefore, the system 100 may take into consideration the position of the light source or the sun 87 over the time duration in performing the ray tracing. This allows seasonal changes to the sun location to be taken into consideration during glare assessment.

[0034] In various embodiments, the system 100 may iteratively compute a plurality of glare occurrences for each of one or more viewpoint locations 120 over the time duration. The multiple glare occurrences may be computed for each viewpoint location 120, thus enabling the establishment of a trend in glare occurrence over the time duration. In various embodiments, each of the plurality of glare occurrences may correspond to a plurality of time instances, wherein the plurality of time instances are distributed (or uniformly distributed) through the time duration. In other words, alternatively or additionally to establishing a glare occurrence over the time duration, the system 100 may also break down the time duration into multiple time instances, and determine the glare occurrence over each pair of time instances.

[0035] In various embodiments, apart from perfonning a glare assessment of the environment, the system 100 may also determine a respective glare severity of the one or more viewpoint locations 120, which relates to health hazard or glare hazard.

[0036] In various embodiments, the system 100 may determine the respective glare severity of the one or more viewpoint locations 120 using a respective retinal irradiance and a respective subtended source angle. The glare severity may be indicative of a degree of glare hazard. The retinal irradiance may correspond to an amount of light / glare received at the respective viewpoint location 120 or a spatial point / area / zone. For examples, the retinal irradiance maycorrespond to the irradiance entering the human eye at the respective viewpoint location 120, thereby representing the perceived glare intensity experienced by an observer or a subject at that viewpoint location 120. The subtended source angle may correspond to the angle in which light hits the respective viewpoint location 120.

[0037] In various embodiments, the system 100 may determine the respective subtended source angle between each of the one or more viewpoint locations 120 and each of the plurality of reflective surfaces 110. This may be determined using the outcome of the 3D ray tracing. Additionally, the system 100 may also determine the respective retinal irradiance for each of the one or more viewpoint locations 120, using the respective glare occurrence and the respective subtended source angle of the viewpoint location 120.

[0038] In various embodiments, the system 100 may classify the respective glare severity using a predetermined threshold. The threshold may be a quantitative measure or a qualitative measure. In an exemplary embodiment, glare severity may be classified into: green glare (low potential for after-image), yellow glare (potential for after-image), and red glare (which is very severe and has the potential of permanent eye damage but is rarely observed in urban contexts). In the exemplary embodiment, glare hazard may be identified by the occurrence of yellow glare.

[0039] In various embodiments, the system 100 may provide a comprehensive glare visualisation as well as glare hazard classification. The system 100 may offers detailed insights into glare risks by identifying specific areas likely to cause glare and classifying the severity based on potential impacts, such as after-image effects. Additionally, the system 100 may provide visualization on glare occurrences for designated viewpoint locations, illustrating the impact of glare on the view area. This allows a user of the system to prioritise high-risk zones and implement effective mitigation strategies, achieving a safe and optimised PV deployment in sensitive locations. The system 100 may represent or display each of one or more viewpoint locations 120 using a graphical representation corresponding to the degree of glare hazard. Forexample, displaying green colour for green glare, yellow colour for yellow glare, and red colour for red glare.

[0040] According to various embodiments, responsive to determining an unacceptable degree of glare hazard, such as a yellow glare or even red glare, the system 100 may provide a suggestion or a mitigation plan. In exemplary embodiments, the suggestion may comprise one or more of the following: i) avoiding disposing selected ones of the plurality of reflective surfaces 110 corresponding to a high glare occurrence; ii) avoiding disposing selected ones of the plurality of reflective surfaces 110 corresponding to a high glare severity; iii) disposing or positioning selected ones of the plurality of reflective surfaces 110 corresponding to low solar irradiance; and iv) for selected ones of the plurality of reflective surfaces 110, providing a suggested adjustment to one or both of: the at least one geometrical parameter and the at least one location parameter.

[0041] In some embodiments, the system 100 may first determine selected ones of the plurality of reflective surfaces 110 which results in a high glare occurrence or a high glare severity, and provide a suggestion in removing or relocating the selected reflective surfaces 110. In other embodiments, the system 100 may determine selected ones of the plurality of reflective surfaces 110 which results in low solar irradiance, and provide a suggestion in disposing or placing only the selected reflective surfaces 110.

[0042] In various embodiments, the system 100 may enable a mitigation strategy evaluation, allowing users to test different mitigation strategies (e.g., adjusting tilt angles or reorienting surfaces) and quantify the reduction in glare hazard in real time For example, the user may make changes to the geometrical parameter(s) and / or the location parameter(s) for one or more of the reflective surfaces 110, and in real time, obtain a respective glare assessment outcome due to the changes. In another example, the user may compare the glare assessment outcome for different magnitudes of changes to the geometrical parameter(s) and / or the locationparameter(s) in real time. This enables the users to make informed, data-driven decisions that balance glare reduction with maximising energy output for PV installations.

[0043] In various embodiments, the system 100 may comprise an automated layout generation which automatically generates optimised layouts for the reflective surfaces 110 (such as PV panels and modular panels like glass) by adjusting orientation, tilt angle, and footprint to fit the site’s requirements. This reduces time and effort, while allowing the generated layout to account for shading and reflected sunlight, providing flexibility for a wide range of reflective surfaces in various projects.

[0044] In various embodiments, the system 100 may perform glare assessment on each of a plurality of candidate layouts, with each of the plurality of candidate layouts comprising different configurations of reflective surfaces 110. In addition, the system 100 may present an outcome of the respective glare assessment (i.e. the glare occurrences for the viewpoint locations 120) for each of the plurality of candidate layouts to a user. In this way, the user may then select a preferred layout for PV panel planning and / or installation.

[0045] The system 100 may determine an optimized arrangement of the plurality of reflective surfaces 110 based on the respective glare occurrences, wherein the optimized arrangement corresponds to minimal glare hazard. In addition, for selected ones of the plurality of reflective surfaces 110, the system 100 may provide one or more suggested adjustments to one or both of: the at least one geometrical parameter and the at least one location parameter. For example, the system 100 may propose or suggest moving and / or tilting selected ones of the reflective surfaces 110 In further embodiments, as shown in FIG 3, based on the optimized arrangement, the system 100 may automatically adjust the at least one geometrical parameter and / or the at least one location parameter, for selected ones 110A of the plurality of reflective surfaces 110 in the layout 80. For example, the system 100 may automatically move and / or tilt selected ones 110A of the reflective surfaces 110.

[0046] The proposed system 100 and method may be implementable or applicable to various settings, scenarios or contexts, such as:a) In urban settings, the proposed system and method may outperform conventional tools which often assume a direct line-of-sight between the sun, PV modules, and the observer. However, in cities, this assumption is often not correct due to numerous obstructions, such as buildings and infrastructure Departing from such approaches, the proposed system and method may may determine (or identify) shades / shadows on reflective surfaces and detect obstructions that block incoming and reflected sunlight at various time instances. This aids in providing a comprehensive and precise glare assessment in a complex and densely built urban environments.b) Tn airport settings, the proposed system and method may evaluate the impact of glare on flight paths and / or control tower viewpoints. Critical parameters, such as the aircraft's azimuth, glide slope, and pilot field-of-view (FOV), may be simulated thus enabling compliance with regulations, for example, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety regulations. The proposed system aids in supporting critical safety decisions and glare mitigation strategies by providing assessment or analysis on the impact of reflective surfaces on aircraft during takeoff and landing, and the impact of glare on control tower personnel.c) For transportation routes, the proposed system and method may evaluate the impact of glare along roads, highways, railways, or pedestrian pathways by simulating both oneway and two-way traffic, which may be customisable from different observer field of views (FOV). In addition, the glare intensity and duration visible to drivers or pedestrians may be determined at different time instances, thus aids in preventing glare hazards that may compromise safety.

[0047] It may be appreciated that the above-described features may deliver an accurate glare assessment as well as actionable insights for safe and optimised deployment of reflective materials across various environments Therefore, the proposed system and method may be invaluable for urban planners, airport authorities, and transportation designers aiming to balance functionality with safety and efficiency.

[0048] According to various embodiments, the system 100 comprises geo-referenced 3D modelling, allowing precise alignment with real-world locations and improving the spatial accuracy of glare analysis by supporting geo-referenced 3D models and generating 3D models directly on geo-referenced basemaps. The elevated accuracy aids in regulatory compliance in sensitive areas such as airports and highways. The system 100 may also comprise 3D geometric computation and ray tracing, using advanced 3D geometric computation and ray-tracing techniques to accurately model shadows on PV panels and account for obstructions between viewpoints and PV panels along the line-of-sight, providing more precise glare analysis. The system 100 may also provide support for complex surfaces in which irregular surfaces, such as double-curved facade, are taken into consideration during glare assessment, thus allowing automated layout generation for both PV and modular panels (e g., glass), which departs from conventional systems / methods. The system may also provide a comprehensive glare visualisation, offering detailed visualisations of glare occurrences and hazards from PV systems across various viewpoints and time intervals (hourly, daily, or monthly). Departing from existing systems / methods, which merely compute glare hazard occurrences, the proposed system identifies the exact time and location of glare occurrences, as well as the exact portions / parts / ones of the reflective surfaces that are causing glare, as well as the corresponding viewpoint locations which are affected. The system 100 may also provide real-time feedback on how different mitigation strategies may aid in reducing glare hazards, illustrating how glare occurrences may be mitigated for specific viewpoint locations at different time instances. Thesystem 100 may also be employed in multiple context Departing from conventional tools which are often limited to default settings and basic architectural designs, the proposed system 100 is versatile to handle largely different contexts such as urban settings, airports, and routes, allowing the system to be adaptable to multiple industries with critical safety applications or where glare may be potentially a public nuisance.

[0049] According to another aspect of the application, FIG. 4 illustrates a method of glare assessment 700. The method 700 comprises: in 710, generating a layout corresponding to a plurality of reflective surfaces and a structural context in an environment, wherein each of the plurality of reflective surfaces is independently defined by at least one geometrical parameter and at least one location parameter; and in 720, using ray tracing on the layout, determining a respective glare occurrence for each of at least one viewpoint location in the environment over a time duration, wherein the respective glare occurrence corresponds to a count of instances in which the corresponding one of the at least one viewpoint location receives reflected light from the plurality of reflective surfaces.

[0050] In various embodiments, the method 700 further comprises: in 730, by ray tracing from each of the at least one viewpoint location to a light source, identifying a respective glare spot count for each of the plurality of reflective surfaces over the time duration; and in 740, determining the respective glare occurrence for each of the at least one viewpoint location over the time duration, based on the respective glare spot counts. In various embodiments, a position of the light source in the layout is variable over the time duration.

[0051] In various embodiments, the method 700 further comprises: iteratively computing a plurality of glare occurrences for each of a plurality of viewpoint locations over the time duration. In various embodiments, each of the plurality of glare occurrences corresponds to corresponding one of a plurality of time instances, wherein the plurality of time instances are uniformly distributed through the time duration.

[0052] Tn various embodiments, the method 700 further comprises: determining a respective glare severity of each of the at least one viewpoint location using a respective retinal irradiance and a respective subtended source angle, wherein the respective glare severity is indicative of a degree of glare hazard. In various embodiments, the method 700 further comprises: determining the respective subtended source angle between each of the at least one viewpoint location and each of the plurality of reflective surfaces, and determining the respective retinal irradiance using the respective glare occurrence and the respective subtended source angle. In various embodiments, the method 700 further comprises: classifying the respective glare severity using a predetermined threshold. In various embodiments, the method 700 further comprises: representing each of the at least one viewpoint location based on a graphical representation corresponding to the degree of glare hazard. In various embodiments, the method 700 further comprises: for selected ones of the plurality of reflective surfaces, adjusting one or both of: the at least one geometrical parameter and the at least one location parameter.

[0053] In various embodiments, the method 700 further comprises: providing a suggestion responsive to determining an unacceptable degree of glare hazard.In various embodiments, the suggestion comprises at least one of: avoiding disposing selected ones of the plurality of reflective surfaces corresponding to a high glare occurrence; avoiding disposing selected ones of the plurality of reflective surfaces corresponding to a high glare severity; disposing selected ones of the plurality of reflective surfaces corresponding to low solar irradiance; and providing a suggested adjustment to the at least one geometrical parameter and / or the at least one location parameter for selected ones of the plurality of reflective surfaces.

[0054] In various embodiments, the method 700 further comprises: determining an optimized arrangement of the plurality of reflective surfaces based on the respective glare occurrences, wherein the optimized arrangement corresponds to minimal glare hazard. Invarious embodiments, the method 700 further comprises: obtaining the structural context from a geospatial basemap.

[0055] Exemplary Implementation - Advanced 3D Glare Assessment Tool

[0056] FIGs. 5 to 11 illustrate an exemplary implementation of the proposed system as an Advanced 3D Glare Assessment Tool. The Advanced 3D Glare Assessment Tool may be implemented as a targeted software platform configured to provide precise, efficient glare analysis for PV installations and other reflective surfaces in various environments, particularly urban, airport, and transportation route settings.

[0057] Utilising advanced 3D geometric computations, ray-tracing techniques, and parallel processing capabilities, the tool offers detailed, real-time glare assessments while optimising PV system layouts. The ability to handle complex datasets, irregular surface geometries, and environmental obstructions enables highly accurate results for even the most challenging scenarios.

[0058] Methodology

[0059] FIG. 5 illustrates an integrated workflow which was developed, including the following main steps:I. First, the boundary conditions (such as geometrical parameters and location parameters) of the reflective surfaces, viewpoint locations, surrounding building context, and the time period and interval for glare assessment are defined.II. Next, the layout of reflective surfaces can be automatically generated by setting the dimensions, tilt angle, and azimuth of the panels.III. Using 3D ray-tracing techniques, glare spots generated by individual reflective panels are identified at various time intervals.TV Each reflective surface is colour-coded based on the total number of detected glare spots. Simultaneously, the glare occurrence for each viewpoint is calculated as the total number of times it receives reflected sunlightV. Glare severity is classified based on retinal irradiance and subtended source angle into two types: green glare (low potential for after-image) and yellow glare (potential for after-image). The very severe red glare (potential for permanent eye damage) is rarely observed in urban contexts. Glare hazard is identified by the occurrence of yellow glare. FIG. 6 quantifies the impact through the so-called “glare hazard plot”.VI. To mitigate glare hazards, four different strategies are proposed: a) Plan A: Avoiding reflective surfaces based on annual glare occurrences using a user-defined threshold (e.g., top 10%); b) Plan B: Avoiding reflective surfaces based on annual yellow glare occurrences using a user-defined threshold (e.g., top 10%); c) Plan C: Avoiding areas for PV deployment with low solar irradiance (<1,200 kWh / m2 / year); d) Plan D: Changing the azimuth to redirect glare away from critical viewpoints to areas with no concerns (e.g., between buildings). The effectiveness is quantified by the reduction in yellow glare occurrences.

[0060] 3D Geometric Modelling and Ray-Tracing

[0061] The 3D Glare Assessment Tool employs advanced 3D geometric modelling and raytracing techniques to simulate the interaction between sunlight and reflective surfaces. These techniques allow the tool to account for real-world factors, such as shadows cast by buildings and other obstructions, which can impact glare occurrence. By tracing the paths of reflected sunlight across multiple viewpoints, the tool provides an accurate and detailed assessment of potential glare risks. Shadows and obstructions that may interfere with the line of sight between the reflective surfaces and viewpoints are also considered, enabling a more accurate and realistic glare assessment.

[0062] Automatic Reflective Surface Layout Generation

[0063] One of the core features of the tool is the ability to automatically generate layouts for reflective surfaces. Users can specify the surface's footprint, orientation, tilt angle, and distance between panels, and the tool quickly produces an optimised layout. This feature is especially beneficial for complex reflective surfaces, such as domes, double-curved facades, or irregularly shaped installations, offering greater flexibility and significantly reducing manual setup time. The system efficiently adapts to non-standard configurations, making it ideal for challenging architectural designs. Besides PV deployment, this functionality also applies to modular reflective surfaces, such as window glass panels, further broadening its application in modern architecture.

[0064] Glare Severity Classification

[0065] In addition to analysing glare, the tool categorises glare severity into levels such as green glare (low potential for after-image) and yellow glare (higher risk of after-image), with yellow glare identified as a glare hazard. This classification is based on the intensity of glare at specific viewpoints. The tool provides visualisations that highlight glare occurrences and the severity of these occurrences over time, allowing users to identify high-risk zones and make informed decisions about reflective surface placement and design.

[0066] Mitigation Strategy Testing

[0067] The tool offers robust support for testing multiple mitigation strategies aimed at reducing glare impacts. These strategies include adjusting the tilt angles of reflective panels, reorienting panels to change the direction of reflected sunlight, or strategically avoiding high-glare areas within reflective surfaces. Users can simulate these adjustments and assess their effectiveness in real-time.

[0068] The tool quantifies the impact of each strategy by calculating the reduction in both glare occurrences and glare severity at individual viewpoints. For instance, changing the tiltangle might decrease the occurrence of yellow glare (higher risk of after-image) by a certain percentage, while reorienting the panels may shift the glare away from sensitive viewpoints. The tool provides a detailed breakdown of these reductions, allowing users to compare the effectiveness of different approaches.

[0069] Additionally, for PV deployment, the tool factors in the trade-off between glare reduction and energy yield. For example, some mitigation strategies may reduce glare but also lower solar irradiance on the panels, affecting energy generation. The tool calculates this tradeoff, enabling users to make informed, data-driven decisions that balance optimal PV performance with minimal glare risk. This comprehensive approach ensures that PV deployments can be optimised for both safety and efficiency.

[0070] Geo-referenced Modelling

[0071] In addition, the tool is able to work with geo-referenced 3D models, allowing users to import or generate models aligned with real-world coordinates. This feature enables the reflective surfaces to be positioned accurately within their actual environments, enabling spatial accuracy.

[0072] The tool seamlessly integrates with geospatial basemaps from sources such as publicly available databases / map sources, thus allowing users to overlay the reflective surface designs on actual topographical data This integration allows the reflective surfaces to be mapped precisely onto existing urban landscapes, airport environments, or any geo-referenced areas. For example, users may import detailed building outlines or geographical features and place reflective PV panels directly on rooftops, taking into account real-world dimensions and locations.

[0073] The geospatial capability is particularly useful for projects in sensitive areas such as airports, where strict safety regulations from relevant authorities must be adhered to. By using geo-referenced models, the tool allows for accurate glare assessments, ensuring that reflective1surfaces do not interfere with flight paths or control towers. Additionally, this feature supports large-scale urban planning projects where multiple reflective surfaces with varying positions, orientations and tilt angles need to be positioned relative to other infrastructure, such as roads, buildings, or neighbouring structures. The ability to work with real-world coordinates ensures that both the glare analysis and mitigation strategies are highly accurate and context-specific, enhancing the tool’s effectiveness in delivering precise results for real-world applications.

[0074] Application Scenarios

[0075] The tool may perform 3D glare assessment or analysis in various contexts, such as urban areas, airports, and along travel routes, catering to residents, staff, pilots, control tower personnel, and drivers:

[0076] Urban context: Tn urban settings, users can define the deployment area of reflective surfaces and the tool automatically generates flexible PV layouts. Users can specify building surfaces for viewpoints or select specific target viewpoints. Using geometric computation and ray-tracing, the tool detects if reflective surfaces are shaded or if reflected sunlight is blocked at different times for each viewpoint and reflective panel to provide precise glare analysis.

[0077] Airport context: The tool evaluates potential glare impacts on pilots during approach and take-off, as well as on control tower viewpoints. The user can modify the flight path’s azimuthal angle, direction, elevation, and field-of-view (FOV) to simulate a straight-line descent and identify critical glare hazards within the pilot's visibility range, thus aiding in compliance with regulations. In addition to flight paths, the tool simulates control tower viewpoints, detecting potential glare from nearby reflective surfaces that may obstruct air traffic controllers' visibility. With advanced geospatial capabilities, the tool accurately models real-world airport environments, offering comprehensive glare analysis for both flight paths and control towers. This allows operational safety and supports effective mitigation strategies to reduce glare risks.

[0078] Traffic route context: For transportation (roads, railways), the tool evaluates glare along predefined travel paths, allowing users to specify one-way or two-way travel. It filters out glare from behind in one-way mode, and similar to flight path analysis, users may customise the observer’s FOV. Using ray-tracing, the tool computes or determines glare visibility from reflective surfaces at various time periods, providing details on glare intensity and duration to ensure safe travel along key routes.

[0079] Results and Analysis

[0080] As a case study, the methodology was applied to assess glare occurrences and severity for building facades in Toa Payoh, a high-density residential area in Singapore. A hypothetical PV system was modelled on a 4-story carpark, and year-round glare analysis was conducted hourly for viewpoints on surrounding facades, facing south, north, and east, at two height ranges (15-27 m and 36-72 m).

[0081] Viewpoints were categorised into four groups: 133 high north-facing, 42 low northfacing, 39 low south-facing, and 48 low east-facing viewpoints (see FIG. 7). There were no west-facing viewpoints due to the absence of windows, which helped to avoid heat gain in the afternoon hours. A peak Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) of 1,200 W / m2, the highest recorded near Singapore Changi Airport, was used for the analysis. Various geometrical parameters, location parameters and operational parameters are shown in Table 1 and 2Table 1. Geometrical parameters and location parameters of the case studyTable 2. Operational parameters used for 3D glare assessment

[0082] Visualisation results of glare analysis

[0083] An advantage of the proposed workflow lies in the utilisation of 3D ray tracing to analyse time-series reflected sun vectors and quantify the intensity, thereby facilitating the identification of glare occurrences and the classification between green and yellow glare. Consequently, the tool is able to produce comprehensive results pertaining to both the geographical distribution and severity of glare caused by individual PV panels at each time step.

[0084] FIGs. 8A and 8B present the visualisation results interface of the tool, delineating the following components: Annual glare occurrences resulting from each PV panel; Annual glare occurrences received by each viewpoint; Timeline charts to depict the occurrences of yellow glare and green glare across four distinct types of viewpoints; Total glare occurrences and yellow glare occurrences for each type of viewpoints or viewpoint locations.

[0085] This allows users to identify specific areas within the PV installation that contribute most to glare, as well as pinpoint which types of viewpoints are most affected and the exact timing of the glare (by month, day, and hour).

[0086] Based on the visualisation and glare occurrence metrics, the tool enables the identification of optimal (or optimised) PV layouts that minimise yellow glare. FIGs. 9A to 9D show the annual glare occurrences for PV panels tilted at 10° with different azimuth angles (10°, 90°, 190°, 280°). A PV installation with a 90° azimuth has the fewest yellow glare occurrences, while that with a 190° azimuth has the most, with 75% affecting east-facingviewpoints. Nearly all yellow glare for the 280° azimuth configuration also impacts east-facing viewpoints, making east-facing orientations the most favourable for minimising glare.

[0087] Quantitative analysis of mitigation strategies

[0088] The quantitative assessment of mitigation plans A, B, and C compares the reduction in yellow glare occurrences across different viewpoints and time periods. For PV installations tilted at 10° with a 90° azimuth (which has the lowest yellow glare in Figure 5), the results are: a) Plan B reduces 75.4% of yellow glare occurrences, while Plan A reduces 23.2%, and Plan C reduces 33.8%; b) Mitigation strategies affect viewpoints differently, with Plan C reducing 38.9% of yellow glare for north- and south-facing viewpoints but only 18.8% for east-facing ones; c) Yellow glare reduction is relatively consistent across all months (FIGs. 10A and 10B).

[0089] Table 3 summarises the annual yellow glare occurrences and solar energy data for 12 PV configurations. Key findings include: a) East-facing PV panels produce the lowest yellow glare across all tilt angles, with those at a 15° tilt presenting the least overall glare hazard; b) Plan B is the most effective mitigation strategy, reducing glare to its lowest levels; c) In terms of solar energy, Plan A retains the most solar energy generation with a reduction of only 9.1-11 1%, while Plan B results in a moderate loss (10-147%), and Plan C shows the highest energy reduction (30-58%). Overall, the optimal PV design for minimising yellow glare occurrences is one with a 90° azimuth and a 15° tilt. After applying Plan B mitigation, this configuration results in the lowest annual yellow glare occurrences (207) and still generates 2,190 MWh of solar energy.

[0090] Additionally, this tool was also used to analyse the yellow glare among the four distinct types of viewpoints (FIG. 11). East-facing viewpoints show the highest yellow glare for north-, south-, and west-facing PV panels, while east-facing PV panels cause the least glare hazard. As the tilt angle increases from 5° to 15°, yellow glare varies across viewpoints and PV orientations, showing no clear linear relationship between total yellow glare and tilt angle.

[0091] Moreover, the user may apply Plan D, which adjusts the PV azimuth to redirect glare away from viewpoints, to further reduce yellow glare from east-facing PV panels. For PV installations tilted at 15°, shifting the azimuth from 90° to 100° and 110° shows a decrease in yellow glare occurrences. By applying both Plan D and Plan B, annual yellow glare occurrences can be reduced to 73 for PV panels tilted at 15° with a 110° azimuth, just 2.7% of the yellow glare seen in the worst-case scenario (south-facing panels tilted at 10° with a 190° azimuth). Overall, all four mitigation plans have proven effective.

[0092] Although the case study focuses on glare occurrences by the hour, the tool is fully capable of computing glare down to the minute or up to days, weeks, or years. The tool comprises advanced processing capabilities and efficient algorithms that enable fast calculations even for detailed minute-level analyses. As such, the tool provided precise analysis and optimised glare mitigation strategies, allowing the use of the tool for highly effective for time-sensitive applications.

[0093] The Advanced 3D Glare Assessment Tool proved to be a versatile and powerful solution for analysing and mitigating glare from PV systems and other reflective surfaces. Its advanced features, including 3D ray-tracing, automated layout generation, and the ability to handle complex geometries, provide precise glare assessments and effective mitigation strategies. With real-time feedback and support for minute-level analysis, the tool is highly adaptable to time-sensitive applications, making it a valuable asset for urban planners, architects, and engineers working in complex environments.Table 3. Annual yellow glare occurrences and solar energy of 12 different PV deployments and the corresponding mitigation plans

[0094] Exemplary Applications of Advanced 3D Glare Assessment Tool

[0095] I) Glare Impact on Urban and Densely Built Areas: The tool addresses the challenge faced with accurately assessing or analysing glare in dense urban environments where buildings and infrastructure obstruct direct and reflected sunlight. The tool incorporates real-world obstructions, allowing for precise glare analysis in high-density urban settings, and may be employed for more effective glare mitigation strategies during city planning and development.

[0096] II) Safety Concerns in Airports: The tool may be used to perform glare assessments along critical flight paths and control tower viewpoints, ensuring compliance with strict aviationsafety standards and / or regulations By evaluating the reflections from PV installations and other reflective surfaces, aids in mitigating glare hazard that may impair pilot visibility during landing and takeoff, and / or obstruct air traffic controllers' line-of-sight, thereby supporting operational safety in and around airport environments.

[0097] III) Glare on Transportation Routes: The tool may be used to evaluates glare risks along highways, streets, railways, and other transportation routes, thus mitigating or preventing glare from affecting the visibility of drivers during commute. The tool may analyse how reflective surfaces - such as glass facades, PV installations, or metal surfaces - interact with sunlight over time, identifying high-risk periods or locations. The tool may enable authorities and / or urban planners to mitigate potential glare hazards which may lead to dangerous driving conditions, thus improving safety along transportation routes.

[0098] IV) Handling Complex and Irregular Surface Designs: The tool may be used to assess glare from non-standard, complex reflective surfaces such as domes, double-curved designs, and irregular shapes. These surfaces are commonly found in modern or state-of-the-art architectural projects with emphasis on design flexibility. The tool may perform glare assessment on the irregular geometries, thus allowing architects and / or designers to achieve aesthetics without compromising on safety or functionality, particularly for managing glare in high-visibility or safety-critical areas.

[0099] V) Optimisation of PV System Layout: The tool may be used to automate the optimisation of PV system layouts, by taking into consideration geometrical parameters (or design elements) such as panel orientation, tilt angle, and footprint size, as well as location parameters such as PV panel location. Simulating these parameters allows the PV system to be positioned for maximising solar energy output while mitigating glare. The provision of automation may significantly reduce manual labour and planning time, facilitating the designers and / or engineers in obtaining efficient, glare-safe systems in urban, rural, or industrial settings.

[0100] VI) Regulatory Compliance in Sensitive Areas: The tool may be used to provide precise, geo-referenced glare analysis that aligns reflective surfaces with regulatory standards in sensitive areas like airports, highways, and densely populated urban environments. By integrating real -world geographic data, the tool ensures that projects meet stringent safety and legal requirements, such as FAA guidelines for flight paths or transportation safety regulations, without requiring extensive manual analysis. This facilitates or improves the regulatory approvals and also reduces compliance risks.

[0101] VII) Real-Time Mitigation Strategy Testing: The tool enables users to rapidly test and evaluate different glare mitigation strategies - such as altering panel tilt, orientation, or placement - and is able to provide real-time immediate feedback on how each change impacts glare reduction. The real-time testing allows for a faster, data-driven decision-making, minimising both project delays and costs. By identifying the most effective solutions, the tool enables glare impacts to be reduced efficiently, meets energy production goal and reduces project timelines.

[0102] The proposed system for glare assessment may be implemented by a processor system 900 as illustrated in the schematic block diagram of FIG. 12. Components of the processing system 900 may be provided within one or more computing device to carry out the functions of the modules or any other modules. One skilled in the art will recognize that the exact configuration or arrangement illustrated in FIG. 12 is provided by way of example only, e.g., each processing system provided may be different and the exact configuration of processing system 900 may vary.

[0103] In embodiments of the present disclosure, the processing system 900 may include a controller 901 and user interface 902. User interface 902 is configured to enable manual interactions between a user and the computing module as required. For this purpose, the processing system 900 includes the input / output components required for the user to enterinstructions to provide updates to each of the modules. A person skilled in the art will recognize that components of user interface 902 may vary from embodiment to embodiment but may typically include one or more input devices 9 5 such as but not limited to a touchscreen, a keyboard, a joystick, a mouse, a microphone, etc. The user interface 902 can also include a media player 940, which can be in the form of one or more playback devices, including but not limited to a display, a speaker, earphones, headsets, etc.

[0104] The controller 901 is configured to be in data communication with the user interface 902 via bus 915. The controller 901 includes memory 920 and processor 905 mounted on a circuit board to process instructions and data, e.g., to perform the method of the present disclosure. The controller 901 includes an operating system 906, an input / output (I / O) interface 930 for communicating with user interface 902, and a communications interface, e.g., a network card 950. The network card 950 may, for example, be configured to send data from the controller 901 via a wired or wireless network to other processing devices or to receive data via the wired or wireless network. Wireless networks that may be utilized by the network card 950 include, but are not limited to, Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), cellular networks, satellite networks, telecommunication networks, Wide Area Networks (WAN), and etc.

[0105] Memory 920 and operating system 906 are in data communication with central processing unit (CPU) 905 via bus 910. The memory 920 may include both volatile and nonvolatile memory. The memory 920 may include more than one of each type of memory, e.g., Random Access Memory (RAM) 923, Read Only Memory (ROM) 925, and a mass storage device 945. The mass storage device 945 may include one or more solid-state drives (SSDs). One skilled in the art will recognize that the memory described above includes non-transitory computer-readable media and shall be taken to include all computer-readable media except for a transitory, propagating signal. Typically, instructions are stored as program code in thememory but can also be hardwired Memory 920 may include a kernel and / or programming modules such as a software application that may be stored in either volatile or non-volatile memory.

[0106] Herein, the term “processor” is used to refer generically to any device or component that can process computer-readable instructions, including for example, a microprocessor, microcontroller, programmable logic device, or other computational device. That is, processor 905 may be provided by any suitable logic circuitry for receiving inputs, processing them in accordance with instructions stored in memory, and generating outputs (for example to the memory components or media player 940). In the present disclosure, processor 905 may be a single core or multi-core processor with memory addressable space. In one example, processor 905 may be multi -core, comprising — for example — an 8 core CPU. In another example, it could be a cluster of CPU cores operating in parallel to accelerate computations.

[0107] Further, one skilled in the art will recognize that certain functional units in this description have been labelled as modules throughout the specification. The person skilled in the art will also recognize that a module may be implemented as circuits, logic chips or any sort of discrete component. Still further, one skilled in the art will also recognize that a module may be implemented in software which may then be executed by a variety of processor architectures. In embodiments of the disclosure, a module may also comprise computer instructions or executable code that may instruct a computer processor to carry out a sequence of events based on instructions received. In further embodiments, the module may comprise a combination of different types of modules or sub-modules. The choice of the implementation of the modules may be determined by a person skilled in the art and does not limit the scope of the claimed subject matter in any way.

[0108] All examples described herein, whether of apparatus, methods, materials, or products, are presented for the purpose of illustration and to aid understanding, and are notintended to be limiting or exhaustive. Modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A system, comprising:memory storing instructions; anda processor coupled to the memory and configured to process the stored instructions to implement:a module configured to perform a method of glare assessment, the method including:generating a layout comprising a plurality of reflective surfaces and a structural context in an environment, wherein each of the plurality of reflective surfaces is independently defined by at least one geometrical parameter and at least one location parameter; and using ray tracing on the layout, determining a respective glare occurrence for each of at least one viewpoint location in the environment over a time duration, wherein the respective glare occurrence corresponds to a count of instances in which the corresponding one of the at least one viewpoint location receives reflected light from the plurality of reflective surfaces.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: by ray tracing from each of the at least one viewpoint location to a light source, identifying a respective glare spot count for each of the plurality of reflective surfaces over the time duration; and determining the respective glare occurrence for each of the at least one viewpoint location over the time duration, based on the respective glare spot counts.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein a position of the light source in the layout is variable over the time duration.

4. The system as recited in any one of the above claims, wherein the method further comprises: iteratively computing a plurality of glare occurrences for each of the at least one viewpoint location over the time duration.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of glare occurrences corresponds to corresponding one of a plurality of time instances, wherein the plurality of time instances are distributed through the time duration.

6. The system as recited in any one of the above claims, wherein the method further comprises: determining a respective glare severity of each of the at least one viewpoint location using a respective retinal irradiance and a respective subtended source angle, wherein the respective glare severity is indicative of a degree of glare hazard.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the method further comprises: determining the respective subtended source angle between each of the at least one viewpoint location and each of the plurality of reflective surfaces, and determining the respective retinal irradiance using the respective glare occurrence and the respective subtended source angle.

8. The system as recited in any one of claims 6 and 7, wherein the method further comprises: classifying the respective glare severity using a predetermined threshold.

9. The system as recited in any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the method further comprises: representing each of the at least one viewpoint location based on a graphical representation corresponding to the degree of glare hazard.

10. The system as recited in any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the method further comprises: for selected ones of the plurality of reflective surfaces, adjusting one or both of: the at least one geometrical parameter and the at least one location parameter.

11. The system as recited in any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the method further comprises: providing a suggestion responsive to determining an unacceptable degree of glare hazard.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the suggestion comprises at least one of: avoiding disposing selected ones of the plurality of reflective surfaces corresponding to a high glare occurrence, avoiding disposing selected ones of the plurality of reflective surfaces corresponding to a high glare severity; disposing selected ones of the plurality of reflective surfaces corresponding to low solar irradiance; and for the selected ones of the plurality of reflective surfaces, providing a suggested adjustment to one or both of: the at least one geometrical parameter and the at least one location parameter.

13. The system as recited in any one of the above claims, wherein the method further comprises: determining an optimized arrangement of the plurality of reflective surfaces based on the respective glare occurrences, wherein the optimized arrangement corresponds to minimal glare hazard.

14. The system as recited in any one of the above claims, wherein the method further comprises: obtaining the structural context from a geospatial basemap.

15. The system as recited in any one of the above claims, wherein each of the plurality of reflective surfaces corresponds to a photo-voltaic (PV) panel.

16. The system as recited in any one of the above claims, wherein the at least one geometrical parameter comprises one or more of: a dimension, a tilt angle, and an azimuth of each reflective surface.

17. The system as recited in any one of the above claims, wherein the structural context comprises a building with at least one curved surface.

18. The system as recited in any one of the above claims, wherein the ray tracing is a 3-dimensional ray tracing.

19. The system as recited in any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the environment corresponds to one of: an urban environment, an airport environment and a road traffic environment.

20. A method of glare assessment, comprising:generating a layout corresponding to a plurality of reflective surfaces and a structural context in an environment, wherein each of the plurality of reflective surfaces is independently defined by at least one geometrical parameter and at least one location parameter; andusing ray tracing on the layout, determining a respective glare occurrence for each of at least one viewpoint location in the environment over a time duration, wherein the respective glare occurrence corresponds to a count of instances in which the corresponding one of the at least one viewpoint location receives reflected light from the plurality of reflective surfaces.

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