LIGHT AND LIGHTING

Understanding light
Light travels at approximately 700 million miles per hour and from
leaving the sun, it takes around eight minutes to reach the surface of
the earth.
Objectives
 To be aware of the energy implications of lighting.
 Understand why buildings require lighting.
 Be able to identify the advantages of Natural & Non Natural
lighting.
 Understand what is meant by the term ‘daylight factor’.
 Understand what is meant by the terms General lighting
(Ambient), Localised lighting (Task) and Local lighting (Accent)
 To learn to calculate the right amount of light for given space.
 To archive the comfortable, aesthetically pleasing &
economically best result for built environment.
Lighting
Lighting within the indoor environment can be considered
To have three basic purposes:
 To enable the occupants to work and move about in safety.
 To enable tasks to be performed.
 To make the interior look pleasant.
 There are two principle ways in which a building can be lit.
These are:
 Naturally - by daylight received from the sky.
 Artificially - by electric lamps or other artificial light sources.
The Benefits of Natural Light
The plants & other organisms use Natural light energy to produce
food. (Photosynthesis)
,
Natural light decrease shadow dispersion, and providing ideal work
environments.
Natural light prevents eye strain, as the natural light allows the eyes
to focus with less exertion.
Bright rooms provide an uplifting and energizing environment.
The Benefits of Artificial Light
An easy & efficient replacement of natural light in night time or low
light.
It can be easily controlled.
Wide range of choice is available.
Can be used to create different types of lighting to create various
ambiance.
Daylight as two distinct sources of light:
Sunlight – That part of solar radiation that reaches the earth’s
surface as parallel rays after selective attenuation by the
atmosphere.
Skylight – That part of solar radiation that reaches the earth’s
surface as a result of scattering in the atmosphere.
Sunlight and skylight may therefore be considered as the direct and
diffuse.
Health & Well-being
Lighting impacts upon our ability to work accurately and effectively.
The non-visual receptor in our eyes responds to light and controls
our levels of the key Hormones: cortisol, melatonin and serotonin.
Cortisol is commonly referred to as the stress hormone; it triggers
our levels of alertness and energy. When we have high levels of
cortisol, we are alert and energetic; if these levels drop, we lose
concentration.
Cortisol is commonly referred to as the stress hormone; it triggers
our levels of alertness and energy. When we have high levels of
cortisol, we are alert and energetic; if these levels drop, we lose
concentration.
Serotonin is our ‘happiness’ hormone, our mood hormone. A
deficiency of serotonin will adversely affect our mood.
Daylight
Daylight (both sunlight and skylight) is usually admitted into a
building by the means of windows and skylights.
The quantity of daylight obtained within a room will be dependent
upon:
 The orientation, geometry and space planning of the spaces to
be lit.
 The dimensions and orientation of the openings through which
daylight will pass.
 The location and surface properties of any internal partitions
which may reflect and distribute the daylight.
 The location, form and dimensions of any shading devices
which will provide protection from too much light and glare.
 The light and thermal characteristics of the glazing materials
used.

CONTROLLING DAYLIGHT
A range of methods are available to control the amount of daylight
that penetrates into the building.
 Fixed external – Permanently obstructs skylight and is
maintenance free, but is architecturally dominating.
 Variable external – Allows the maximisation of skylight but can
suffer from maintenance problems.
 Variable internal – Absorbs solar radiation and acts as a
secondary heat source within the building. Effective for visual
comfort.
Various methods of controlling daylight
In addition, further control can be provided by the choice of glazing
type.
Artificial lighting
Artificial lighting is any lighting that is not sunlight. Generally
speaking, artificial lighting is lighting which is manmade, such as
fluorescent, tungsten, mercury vapour, sodium vapour, halogen,
compact fluorescent, et cetera. It can be turned on and off at a flick
of a switch.
Three are three basic types of lighting that work together in your
home:
 Ambient (general lighting)
 Task
 Accent
Ambient lighting provides an area with overall illumination. Also
known as general lighting, it radiates a comfortable level of
brightness without glare and allows you to see and walk about
safely. In some spaces such as laundry rooms, the ambient lighting
also serves as the primary source of task lighting.
It can be accomplished with chandeliers, ceiling or wall-mounted
fixtures, recessed or track lights and with lanterns mounted on the
outside of the home. Having a central source of ambient light in all
rooms is fundamental to a good lighting plan.
Task lighting helps you perform specific tasks, such as reading,
grooming, preparing and cooking food, doing homework, working on
hobbies, playing games and balancing your check book. It can be
provided by recessed and track lighting, pendant lighting and under
cabinet lighting, as well as by portable floor and desk lamps.
Task lighting should be free of distracting glare and shadows and
should be bright enough to prevent eye strain.
Accent lighting adds drama to a room by creating visual interest. As
part of an interior design scheme, it is used to draw the eye to
houseplants, paintings, sculptures and other prized possessions. It
can also be used to highlight the texture of a brick or stone wall,
window treatments or outdoor landscaping.
To be effective, accent lighting requires as least three times as much
light on the focal point as the general lighting surrounding it.
QUALITY OF LIGHT:
Glare is very important consideration regarding quality of light.
• Excessively bright areas in the field of vision can give rise to
discomfort and in acute cases in vision.
Glare depends upon the observer as well as;
• Brightness
• Size
• Number
• Distance
• Direction of light sources
Efficacy (luminous efficacy)
The ratio of light emitted by a lamp to the power consumed by it,
that is, lumens per Watt. When the control gear losses are included,
it is expressed as lumens per circuit Watt.
Illuminance
The amount of light falling on an area, measured in lux. 1 lux is equal
to one lumen per square metre.
Luminaire
A light fitting and lamp including all components for fixing and
protecting the lamps, as well as connecting them to the supply.
Lumen
Unit of luminous flux, used to describe the amount of light produced
by a lamp.
Lux
An international unit of measurement of luminance intensity of light.
How to convert lumens to watts
Lumens / (lumens per watt) = Watts
Or
W = lm / (lm/W)
Example
What is the power consumption of a lamp that has luminous flux of
900 lumens and luminous efficacy of 15 lumens per watt?
900lm / 15lm/W = 60W

How to convert watts to lumens

Watts × (lumens per watt) = Lumens
Example
What is the luminous flux of a lamp that has power consumption of
60 watts and luminous efficacy of 15 lumens per watt?
60W × 15lm/W = 900lm
 LUMENS TO WATTS TABLE
Incandescent Fluorescent
Lumens light bulb  / LED
watts watts
375 lm 25 W 6.23 W
600 lm 40 W 10 W
900 lm 60 W 15 W
1125 lm 75 W 18.75 W
1500 lm 100 W 25 W
2250 lm 150 W 37.5 W
3000 lm 200 W 50 W

Glare from daylight

Glare from daylight can be reduced by:
 Using solar control devices - such as external screens
and louvers, glass of low transmittance, or internal
blinds and curtains
 Other methods of decreasing the contrast between the
interior and the view of the sky - such as ensuring that
the window wall is light coloured.
 Designed to eliminate the use of artificial light on
normal days.
 Average daylight factor of 2% over 80% of the office
space.
  Atrium has roof lights which allow natural light to enter
the building.
 PV façade designed to produce 25-33% of the offices
electricity needs.
 Designed to achieve a minimum 2% daylight factor over
the office area.
 Solar shading provided on South façade via motorised
external translucent glass louvers.
Innovative day lighting technologies
A number of innovative day lighting technologies are
available which are capable of redirecting the incoming
sunlight or skylight to the areas where it is required.
The technologies available include:
 Sunlight tracking systems - have mirrors and/or lenses
that follow the sun and redirect its light to a required
location.
 Heliostat and light pipe systems.
 Mirror systems.
 Day lighting systems - redirect diffuse skylight and
usually sunlight as well. They generally modify or
supplement an existing window or roof light.
 Light shelves.
Innovative day lighting technologies
Light shelves
These can be used to redirect sunlight and skylight deep into
a space. Both interior and exterior light shelves are available.
Exterior shelves can also function as a shading device.
The performance of light shelves depends upon the
proportion of the shelf which is situated inside or outside the
space. They can also be used to control sunlight and reduce
glare.
Energy implications of day lighting
To achieve good day lighting, the glazing must be designed so
That there is a correct balance between the heat gains and
Losses resulting from the transmission of thermal radiation
In and out of the building and the light entering the building.
Correct day lighting design will not only reduce energy costs
Related to artificial lighting, but also reduce the possibility of
Having to cool rooms overheated by low efficiency lighting
Appliances.
However, although large glazed areas may provide sufficient
Day lighting at some distance into the building, they can also
Cause glare, overheating and high heating and cooling
Energy costs.
Advantages of day lighting
The utilisation of daylight in buildings has a number of
advantages, namely:
 It can make a significant contribution to energy
efficiency.
 It has a variability and subtlety which is more pleasing
than the relatively monotonous environment produced
by artificial lighting.
 It helps to create optimum working conditions by
bringing out the natural contrast and colour of
objects.
 Windows and skylights give occupants contact with
the outside world.
 The presence of natural light can bring a sense of
well-being and awareness of the wider environment.
  It is also claimed that exposure to natural light can
have a beneficial effect on human health.
However, due to its uncertainty and variability, day lighting
cannot provide adequate illumination of the internal
environment all of the time. Therefore, artificial lighting
systems must always be incorporated into buildings in
order to supplement day lighting when this is required.

ILLUMINATION
 Tasks to be performed in the space
 Desired light levels based on the tasks performed in the space
 Room size and dimensions
 Structural obstructions such as beams
 Layout of furniture and obstructions such as partitions
 Room and object surface colors and reflectance
 Special concerns such as safety and security
 Hours of operation
 Assessment of normal operating conditions
 Possibility or known existence of abnormal operating conditions
 Cleanliness of the area during operation
 Maintenance schedule
 Availability of daylight