In addition to thermal comfort, acoustics, and indoor air quality, good pendant lights brisbane lighting is of great importance. Studies show that visual comfort is consistently among the top three teachers when asked about the most important factors to consider when designing a classroom. Studies have shown that the visual comfort in classrooms has an impact on the learning process (eg on the concentration and vitality of the students), but also on the general health and well-being of the students and teachers. When developing a lighting concept for a building, daylight is a primary source of light: it promotes the general well-being and the ability to concentrate on the students. In the event of a shortage of daylight, artificial light must be added. The (r) evolution in LED lighting has ensured that highly energy-efficient solutions are available for artificial lighting. Moreover, we can control artificial lighting according to wishes and needs by opting for light control systems.

Which Aspects are Important in the Lighting Design for Educational Buildings?

Illuminance
When a certain task has to be performed (reading, writing, manual work, etc.), sufficient light is of course required on the work surface (also called task surface). Only in this way can the task be carried out in a comfortable and safe manner. The quantity used to determine whether sufficient light falls on the work surface is the illuminance.

Glare
Too large contrasts as a result of poor luminance distribution or too high luminance in general within the field of vision can lead to blinding. Blinding reduces a person’s ability to perceive and distinguish objects. This makes it difficult to perform a task with care. It is therefore important to avoid blindness in order to prevent mistakes, fatigue and even accidents.

MAXIMUM UGR VALUES IN EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS

Uniformity of light distribution (uniformity)
Of course, it is not the intention that certain areas of the work surface are much more illuminated than others (while the average value of the illuminance can still be sufficiently high). For example, in a classroom, it is not desirable that the students’ desks are poorly lit as soon as they are moved to a different setup than the standard one. That is why there are requirements for uniformity (UO), also called evenness, of the illuminance on the work surface. The uniformity is defined as the ratio of the minimum to the average practical illuminance on the work surface. In other words, it characterizes the light distribution on the work surface.

Light Color
White light exists in many different shades. Red and orange-tinted white light is more often associated with coziness and warmth, while blue tones appear cool and chilly. For relaxation and rest areas, warm white light is usually chosen, while slightly colder white light is recommended in places where concentration is required. For standard classrooms, lamps with a color temperature of 3000 or 4000 K are usually chosen, with 4000 K usually being preferred.

Energy Consumption

In addition to visual comfort, the energy efficiency of a lighting installation is of course also important. In recent decades, there has been a sharp increase in awareness of climate change and related energy and environmental issues. Moreover, lower energy consumption also results in a lower energy bill. Certainly in schools, this must be a decisive factor for investing in energy-efficient lighting and possibly in lighting control systems. In schools, the consumption of lighting can be up to 75% of the total electricity consumption.