What does Sky View Factor (SVF) stand for?

• A. Solar View Fraction
• B. Street View Factor
• C. Sky View Factor
• D. Structural View Form

Answer: (C)

Sky View Factor measures how open the sky is from a specific location. It is the fraction of the sky hemisphere that is visible, capturing how surrounding objects like buildings or trees obstruct the view of the sky.

In practice, SVF values range from 0 to 1: 1 means the sky is fully visible, and 0 means the sky is completely blocked. This concept helps estimate how much solar radiation a point receives, how heat is exchanged with the sky, and how microclimates form in urban areas. It’s typically measured from hemispherical imagery or derived from 3D city models and LiDAR data.

The term itself is Sky View Factor, not other phrases, which explains why this option is the correct one.