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LIGHTING DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS PRESENTATION BY SANDAL USMANI MOMIN


MOHAMMAD ZAKI 2ND YEAR M. ARCH BUILDING SERVICES FACULTY OF
ARCHITECTURE & EKISTICS - JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA GUIDED BY AR. P. PRAKASH AR.
RAVI JAIN
2. 2. Lighting Design Design is the science and art of making things useful to humankind;
and lighting design is the application of lightingincluding daylight when it is specifically
used as a source of lightingto human spaces. Like architecture, engineering and other
design professions, lighting design relies on a combination of specific scientific principles,
established standards and conventions, and a number of aesthetic, cultural and human
factors applied in an artful manner. Lighting Design
3. 3. Lighting Quantity Task Illuminance Design Considerations Implementation Economic /
Cost Consideration Energy / Sustainability Lighting Quality Light Distribution, including:
Task and ambient lighting Day lighting integration Light pollution and light trespass Space
and Workplace Considerations, including: Flexibility Appearance of the space and
luminaires Color appearance Luminance of room surfaces Direct glare Reflective glare
Lighting on People and Objects, including: Modeling faces and objects Surface
characteristics Points of interest FORMAT OF PRESENTATION
4. 4. Lighting Quantity For general lighting purposes, the recommended practice is to design
for a level of illumination on the working plane on the basis of the recommended levels for
visual tasks given in CODES (NBC) by a method called Lumen method. In order to make
the necessary detailed calculations concerning the type and quantity of lighting equipment
necessary, advance information on the surface reflectance of walls, ceilings and floors is
required. Task Illuminance Task Illuminance describes the amount of light falling on a
surface. It has two components. 1. Amount of Light (based on usage or multiple usage of a
space) After detailed study and research CODES provides values & 2.If the surface is
horizontal - horizontal illuminance if the surface is vertical - vertical illuminance Some tasks
though are at an angle, such as reading a book in a hospital bed. Design Consideration 1.
Lighting Quantity
5. 5. Lighting Quality Lighting profoundly affects many human reactions to the environment.
These human reactions range from the obvious, such as the dramatic beauty of an
illuminated landmark or the emotional response of a candlelight dinner, to subtle impacts on
worker productivity in offices or sales in retail stores. Light Distribution, including: Task and
ambient lighting Day lighting integration Light pollution and light trespass Space and
Workplace Considerations, including: Flexibility Appearance of the space and luminaires
Color appearance Luminance of room surfaces Direct glare Reflective glare Lighting on
People and Objects, including: Modeling faces and objects Surface characteristics
Points of interest Sparkle Design Consideration 2. Lighting Quality
6. 6. Lighting Quality Task and ambient lighting Task lighting systems independent from the
spaces general lighting systems (serving specific task) are found in building types for
instance, the display lighting in retail stores is a form of task lighting. Similarly, task lights are
used in industrial manufacturing and assembly, health care, residential lighting, and many
other interior lighting applications. Options include indirect luminaires mounted atop
cobinetry or workstations Suspended luminaires Recessed luminaires Ambient Lighting:

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Task lights cant light the balance of the room, and thus some other type of lighting system is
needed to produce the ambient illumination in the room. Design Consideration 2. Lighting
Quality / Distribution
7. Lighting Quality Task Ambient Lighting produce energy savings in three ways:
Locating the light source close to the task most efficiently produces the illumination levels
needed for the task. Task illumination levels dont have to be maintained uniformly thorugh
out the space, so ambient levels can be lower. Some occupants wont use their task lights,
and empty offices or workstations with absent occupants dont have to be fully illuminated
Design Consideration 2. Lighting Quality / Distribution
8. Lighting Quality Day lighting Integration Practice of using windows, skylights and other
forms of fenestration to bring light into the interiors of buildings using various means.
Incorporating day lighting in the lighting design can be done by: Proper control of the
fenestration luminance Daylight sensing and compensation control systems which allow
adjustments to electric electrical lighting system Glare controls should also be incorporated
in the design New techniques for piping light into interior spaces can allow sunlight and
daylight to furnish a higher percentage of illumination requirements and more uniform
distribution Design Consideration 2. Lighting Quality / Distribution
9. Lighting Quality Light pollution & light trespass In outdoor lighting, electric light may
illuminate adjacent properties which become offensive if unwanted is known as light
trespass. Electric lights emitting light upward o reflecting light upward cause a condition
called light pollution which causes moisture and particles in the air to glow at night. Several
steps to minimize light pollution & light trespass Use night lighting only when and where
necessary Use the minimum amount of light needed rather than the maximum Use sources
with cutoff optics that restrict light to the intend area of illumination Use more sources, each
of lower wattage, to improve uniformity in the intended illumination area and minimize
trespass into adjacent areas. Design Consideration 2. Lighting Quality / Distribution
10. Lighting Quality Space and Workplace Considerations, including: Flexibility
Appearance of the space and luminaires Color appearance Luminance of room surfaces
Direct glare Reflective glare Design Consideration 2. Lighting Quality / Space &
Workplace
11. Lighting Quality Flexibility Advance lighting designs should be flexible enough to
ensure that: Lights operate where needed, and are off where not needed, as people move
around within a space and use rooms in different ways. Spaces used for hoteling the
occasional or transient use of a workspace remain dark unless needed. The lighting space
system can be rapidly reconfigured to match a changed floor plan or accommodate a
different space use, and still operate at maximum energy efficiency. The lighting system
permits multiple uses and on-demand flexibility in multiple-use spaces such as conference
rooms and modern A/V classrooms. Design Consideration 2. Lighting Quality / Space &
Workplace
12. Lighting Quality Appearance & Space of luminaires Luminaire efficiency and the ability
to use efficacious sources have become increasingly important criteria for selecting
luminaires. Designer should find lighting systems that embody the projects style or aesthetic
but to do so using high-efficacy sources and efficient principles. For instance, choose

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luminaire that hide light source but avoid such as crystal chandeliers that require lamps with
bare incandescent filaments. Design Consideration 2. Lighting Quality/ Space & Workplace
13. Lighting Quality The appearance of color both in terms of color rendition (CRI-Colour
Rendering Index) Correlated colour Temperature (CCT) are important in the overall feeling of
the space, and in some instances can have a dramatic effect on visual tasks. Design
Consideration 2. Lighting Quality/ Space & Workplace
14. Lighting Quality Color Rendering Index (CRI) describes how a light source makes the
color of an object appear to human eyes and how well subtle variations in color shades are
revealed. The CRI is a scale from 0 to 100 percent indicating how accurate a "given" light
source is at rendering color when compared to a "reference" light source. The higher the
CRI, the better the color rendering ability. Halogen is considered the reference light source
and has a CRI of 100. CRI of 100 in an LED source has not yet been developed. CRI in the
90s is possible but very expensive. Fluorescent lamp sources are considered very poor in
CRI running in the low 70s. A CRI index >80 is considered very good. Design Consideration
2. Lighting Quality / Space & Workplace
15. Lighting Quality Correlated Clolour Temperature For good visual comfort, light needs to
have the right color and quality. Light can feel cool or warm. This is quantified by the "color
temperature" and measured in degrees Kelvin. The higher the color temperature, the bluer
the light is. This may seem counterintuitive, as we think of blue as a "cooler" color than red,
but it comes from the physics of black body radiation. People generally prefer bright light to
be bluer, like daylight, while they prefer dim light to be yellow, like candlelight. The color
temperatures of daylight and various common light sources are below. Design Consideration
2. Lighting Quality / Space & Workplace
16. Lighting Quality Luminance of room surfaces Periodic trends in interior design
introduce dark paints and finishes. These trends contribute to difficulty in producing energyeffective design by increasing lighting requirements to raise surface luminance into the
comfortable range. Lighting designer should: Encourage the use of high diffuse reflectivity
(light colored) surfaces and minimize the use of dark surfaces. Use computer modeling to
ensure that the average room surface luminance is at least 10% of the task background.
With indirect lighting systems, use computer calculations to check for uniformity and try to
maintain 10:1 luminance ratio or better. Design Consideration 2. Lighting Quality / Space &
Workplace
17. Lighting Quality Direct Glare . Caused by a view of the light source, often with high
contrast to the surroundings. Glare is associated not just with lamps, but also with daylight,
especially when one is exposed to low angle, direct sunlight. Be concerned more about the
glare caused by lamps, lenses and other overly birght sources of manmade lights less
about glare of sunlight and small point sources most concerned about sources of glares in
relation to the stationary tasks when building occupants cannot easily relocate themselves or
their tasks Design Consideration 2. Lighting Quality / Space & Workplace
18. Reflective Glare Lighting Quality Have long been associated with gloss-coated paper,
pencil paperwork and computer CRT (cathode ray tube) screen. Indirect lighting, by creating
a diffuse and uniform illumination has been advocated as solution. Can create specular
reflections that can cause glare reducing comfort or disabling the workers vision in particular

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areas. Reflective glare - when system has been optimized to reduce glare then consider:
modifying the task to eliminate remaining glare problem such as use of flat screen CRT or
active matrix. Use of ink rather than pencil Use of matte-coated or uncoated paper rather
than gloss coating paper. Changing finishes of polished floors or shiny conference room
tables. Design Consideration 2. Lighting Quality / Space & Workplace
19. Lighting Quality Lighting on People and Objects, including: Modeling faces and
objects Surface characteristics Points of interest Design Consideration 2. Lighting
Quality
20. Modeling faces and objects Lighting Quality In human vision, shadows and highlights
enhance the perception of three dimensions. Both are the products of directional light
sources. The sun and the moon produce well-defined shadows, and are considered dramatic
and attractive light sources. Diffuse light, like the light from a cloudy sky, produces an even
light that is relatively shadowfree. Once considered desirable, it is now realized that shadowfree light can fail to render changes in surfaces making a space or task less visible. To model
a surface for better recognition of its shape and features, in general some percentage of
directional light is considered important. Consider using a blend of direct and indirect lighting
in most designs to provide a combination of comfort and modeling. To achieve a minimum
modeling, a directional light for an object or area of interest should be at least 20-25% of the
total illumination. Design Consideration 2. Lighting Quality
21. Lighting Quality Surface Characteristics Lighting techniques that reveal architectural
nuance like texture enhance visual perception have become more commonly requested by
building owners and architects Design Consideration 2. Lighting Quality
22. Lighting Quality Point of Interest In retail and museum lighting, designers use highlights
of up to 10 times the ambient light level to draw attention to key display. Recognize that its
wasteful to create lighting than is needed. Carefully select highlights, and use a minimum
effective highlight level. Creating highlights in contrast to lower ambient illumination levels
Creating highlights with efficient sources as close to the object or surface as possible. Small
points of light from fiber optic sources or LEDs may offer efficient ways to create highlights or
attract attention where specifically desired. Design Consideration 2. Lighting Quality
23. Implementation Implementation Economic / Cost Consideration Energy / Sustainablity
Design Consideration 3. Implementation
24. Economics / Cost Consideration Implementation All of the costs and benefits
associated with a lighting project should be considered in a careful economic evaluation of a
lighting system. These include: Installation costs (Including equipment cost) Design and
management costs Energy costs Maintenance costs Advantages Of Lighting Design
Service In Terms Of Cost Saving Equipment Cost Control Identifying Lowest-Cost Unit
Pricing Operations Cost Control Avoiding Over-Lighting Improving Reflectance and
Integrating Daylight People Costs (increased sale /productivity) Aesthetic Costs Design
Consideration 3.Implementation
25. Lighting Economics An Example Design Consideration 3.Implementation
Implementation

26. 26. Lighting Economics An Example Implementation Simple Payback The period of time
in years required for the savings in operating or maintenance cost to equal the additional
initial investment required for the lighting system. Design Consideration 3.Implementation
27. 27. Implementation Energy Efficiency Energy-efficient lighting design focuses on ways to
improve both the quality and efficiency of lighting. Match the amount and quality of light to
the performed function. Install task lights where needed and reduce ambient light
elsewhere. Use only energy-efficient lighting components, controls and systems. These
include Fluorescent and LED lighting options. Maximize the use of daylighting. Daylighting is
the use of windows and skylights to bring natural light into your home. Use of Daylight
Energy Efficiency Incorporate proper lighting controls Infrared sensors Motion sensors
Automatic timers Dimmers Replacement with energy efficient lamps CFLs and LEDs
Design Consideration 3.Implementation

General Interior Lighting in Past and Present


We know electric lighting in the early days, school rooms, offices and other
general work areas were lighted by prismatic or translucent globes. These
were suspended from the ceiling and housing incandescent lamps in such a
way that such units provided lumens both directly and indirectly to the work
plane. It happened through reflections from the room surfaces. Again the
Glass enclosing globes which were used widely were to have high luminance.
Thus this lighting scheme produced considerable glare in workers eyes.

In the 1930s totally indirect incandescent lighting appeared which was

with Pan shaped or concentric ring luminaires. Even it was with a half
silvered lamp mounted base up in a hole in the center of the unit. In this
system it redirected the lamp lumens to the ceiling. Thus essentially the
ceiling became the light source. It was true these indirect units produced
high quality glare free lighting. But this lighting scheme was inherently
very inefficient. In this indirect lighting scheme no lumens traveled
directly to the work plane. Again, many lamps were required in a given
space to provide sufficient work plane Illuminance. Thus much heat
(infrared) was produced which often caused the space to be thermally
uncomfortable situation.
In the late 1930s the manifestation of fluorescent lamps initiated a
change in interior lighting. These lamps had much lower luminance than
the incandescent lamps. Thus to send all of the lamp lumens up to the
ceiling for redirection downward was no longer necessary. Again with
suitable arrangement with louvers and the lenses, most of the lumens

could be sent directly downward. Of course, the fluorescent lamp had


about five times the efficacy of the incandescent lamp. Consequently, 70
foot-candela of fluorescent lighting could be provided more efficiently
than 30 foot-candela of incandescent lighting.
The advent of the metal halide and high pressure sodium lamps

caused several addition changes in interior lighting in the 1960s. They


appeased the energy crisis in the early 1970s. These lamps are
concentrated and of high luminance like incandescent. They had efficacy
seven or more times as great. Thus totally indirect lighting in the interior
spaces became economically feasible once again to design with these
lamps. As a result, reduction of energy consumption was somewhat
possible. In this indirect lighting with these lamps Illuminance levels
were lowered. This lighting system, in spite of providing a reasonably
uniform Illuminance over the entire work plan area, additional
Illuminance was required at the task locations.
So we note that incandescent lighting is not recommended for the
general lighting of interior spaces where the Fluorescent lighting
continues to dominate the incandescent lighting scheme. Again, in
interior lighting, particularly the 4 foot-candela, 40 W rapid start lamp is
the most commonly used fluorescent lamp. Metal halide lamps are
appearing more each year in indirect lighting, both luminaires suspended
from the ceiling and in units built into office furniture. The most popular
lamp for these uses is the 400 W phosphor coated metal halide lamp.
High pressure sodium lamps in carefully designed luminaires are gaining
some acceptance in interior lighting but are generally recommended only
for rooms with high ceiling and where good color rendition is not
important, such as gymnasiums.

Lamps for Interior Lighting


The interior lighting designer generally chooses the lamps from among the
following lamp types:

Incandescent lamp

Fluorescent lamp

Metal halide lamp

High pressure sodium

Each of these types has its own particular set of strength and weakness. The
factors which designer should consider in choosing a lamp are:
1.
Consideration of luminous efficacy. Luminous efficacy is ratio of lumen
output from the lamp to the electrical power (in watt) input to the lamp.
The required Illuminance must be provided by the lamp in conjunction
with the lighting economically.
2.
Consideration of the life of the lamp must be done by the designers.
They should think what may be the difficulties to replace burned out
lamps and group replacement of the lamps is the better choice
economically or not.
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The lumen maintenance of the lamp is an important factor. Question
can be arisen if it is important to have a certain minimum level of
Illuminance at all time.
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Again important consideration is color, the factor of appearance.
Although all the lamps listed produce white light, their CCT and CRIs
differ. Designers should consider the importance of the colors of the
seeing task and its surroundings to be faithfully reproduce.
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Auxiliary equipments required along with the lamps make a big
question. As we have seen, all gas discharge light sources require
ballast, where as incandescent lamps do not. The types of ballast used
can affect lamp output, life, starting reliability, system efficiency and
occupant comfort.
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Designers should think about what may be other miscellaneous, i.e.
any other factors are present in the particular environment or not,
temperature is a problem or not and the area must be free from
stroboscopic effects or not, electromagnetic interference disturb the
activities going on in the space, the fumes are present which could
produce corrosion or an explosive atmosphere etc.

Luminous Efficacy Consideration

The comparison of the first three factors for the four common lamp types is
shown in the above table. Let us consider to discuss the lamp efficacy first.
For incandescent lamps the efficacy ranges from 12 lm/W for the 40 W
standard lamp to 22 lm/W for the 500 W standard lamp. For the
incandescent lamps with the design kept unchanged, the lamp efficacy
increases with the lamp wattage. It happens largely because the thicker
filaments of the higher wattage lamps may be operated at higher
temperatures for the same life. PAR (Parabolic Aluminized Reflector) and R
(Reflector) lamps have generally lower efficacy than the standard lamps of
same wattage. This is because PAR and R lamps are designated to have
longer lives. The fluorescent lamps provide much higher efficacies than the
incandescent lamps in spite of having ballast losses. As an example, the 40
W standard cool white fluorescent lamp emits 3150 lumen initially and its
ballast consumes 12 W. Thus the efficacy are 3150/40 = 79 lumens /watt
initially and including ballast lost total wattage is 52 W and hence 3150/52 =
61 lumens / watt overall. This overall efficacy rating is being used for the
latter figure in the market. In the lighting design scheme the Fluorescent
lamps are used to be operated in pairs with single ballast to improve overall
efficacy. For example, each of the two fluorescent lamps consumes 40 W and
their common ballast consume 12 W, giving an initial efficacy of 68 lumen/W
overall. In case Preheat fluorescent lamps the lamp efficacies are very low.
In this modern age, fluorescent lamps ballast are so designed that they are
considered as energy saving lamps with the highest luminous efficacy. Metal
halide lamps have higher efficacies than the mercury lamps. It is because of
the addition of halide salts in to the metal halide lamps. As an example
400W metal halide lamp emits 34000 lumen initially and its ballast
consumes 460 W. It is giving an initial overall efficacy of 745 lumen/W. So
the lower wattage sizes give the lower efficacies. Again in case of high
pressure sodium lamp, they provide the high efficacy. But the low pressure
sodium lamp having higher efficacy is not suitable for interior lighting. It is
because of poor color rendering properties. As an example, the 400 W
sodium lamp emits 50000 initial lumens and its ballast consumes 75 W. So
whole set up consumes 475 W. Its initial luminous efficacy is 105 lumen/W.
By composition, the 100 W sodium lamp emits 9500 lumens, consumes 135
W, and has an initial efficacy of 70 lumen/W.

Life of the Lamps Consideration


The second column of the above table shows the life of the lamps in hours.
We always assume that the operations of the lamps are at their rated
voltage and normal temperature. The lives of the lamp depend on the lamp
types. The life rating of the standard incandescent lamps is of 750 or 1000
hours. Again PAR and R lamps are rated at 2000 hours. For the fluorescent
lamp, their life ranges are based on 3 burning hours start where as Preheat
fluorescent lamps have life ratings at the low end of the range, namely 7500

or 9000 hours. Instant start lamp is durable for 12000 hours. Again the life
of rapid start lamp lasts for 18000 or 20000 hours. The metal halides lamps
life is dependent on the number of burning hours per start. Their life ratings
are for 10 hours per start. As an example the 400 W metal halide lamp has
the longest life i.e. 20000 hours. The 1500 W lamp has shortest life i.e. 3000
h. Again all high pressure sodium lamps have a life of 24000 hours when
they are used with the specially designed ballasts. High pressure sodium
lamps are used in place of mercury lamps due to less wattage and higher life
span. Mercury Lamps has 12000 hours life span.

Percentage Lumen Depreciation


Consideration
The percent lumen depreciation of the lamps is shown in the table. In case
of Standard incandescent lamps, it depreciates in lumen output by 10 to
22% during lamp life. In case of the fluorescent lamps, the 100 hours lumen
value is called initial lumens and the lumen depreciation is calculated from
that point onward and is based on 3 hour per start. The mean lumen factor
is the percentage of the initial lumens to be expected at 40% of rated life.
Lamp lumen depreciation factor is the percent of the initial lumens to be
expected at 70% of rated life. For example, the 40 W standard cool white
fluorescent lamp gives 3150 initial lumens at 100 hours and 2650 lm at 70%
of rated life (14000 hours). Thus its lumen depreciation factor is 0.84 or
16% depreciation in lumen output. High intensity discharge lamps have their
initial lumen ratings at 100 hours. Lumen depreciation for these lamps is
given in terms of mean lumens, which is the lumen output to be expected at
about 70% of rated life. Metal halide lamps show greater lumen depreciation
than do high pressure sodium lamps.

Color of the Lamp Lumens Consideration


Color of the lamp lumen is the fourth factor is always considered by the
designer. To measure the color, CCT (Correlated Color Temperature) and CRI
(Color Rendering Index) are calculated to provide a suitable color
appearance in the lighting design scheme. CCT or Correlated Color
Temperature means the temperature of the black body at which this black
body radiation color is equivalent to the color of the lamp lumens. CRI or
Color Rendering Index means degree of closeness of the color of lumens
from the lamps to the standard Lumen color. Standard lamps are, as per CIE
recommendation, A, B, C, D55, D65 and D75. The type A is the tungsten
filament lamp at 2856 K and the type B and C are tungsten filament lamp
with some filter. D55, D65 and D75 are the day light type. There are five types
of white fluorescent lamps available in the market. The first three types i.e.
warm white, cool white and day light lamps and they are with high efficacy
to provide reasonable color rendition. Next two types are the two deluxe
lamps which have only 70% of the efficacy but they provide improved color

rendition. The words warm, cool and daylight are chosen in the sense that a
warm white lamp emits yellowish white light and makes a space feel warmer.
Whereas, a cool white lamp emits a bluish white light and it tends to create
a cooler atmosphere. Again the daylight lamp is a very cool appearing source
and it is a close match CCT to an overcast day.

Ballasts Consideration
Ballasts are the fifth factor the designer should consider. Again electronic
ballasts dominate the previous ballasts widely in present days. Though the
Inductor ballasts are reliable and long lived they are with some
disadvantages. They are heavy, consume watts, produce heat, create noise
and permit lamp flicker. Electronic ballasts are lighter, more efficient.
Electronic Ballast do not have hum and flicker effects. Again it is true that
their track record of life and reliability is not yet established. Also there is
some concern over the possible effect on nearby equipment of the high
frequencies they generate. If the designer chooses inductor type ballasts
they should have the CBM/ETL label, this means that they have met the
Certified Ballast Manufactures Association (CBM) requirements. It is
including specifications set by the American Natural Standards Institute
(ANSI). They have been tested and certified by the Electrical Testing
Laboratories (ETL). Besides, they should be of high factor, may be greater
than 90 % and have a high sound level rating. The ballasts should be
suitable for spaces where the ambient noise level is less than 25dB.
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) are always concern to set the ballast safety
standard limit such that those ballasts must meet the requirements having
UL safety Level. As per this standard, the ballast temperature inside the
luminaire must be below 90oC when room temperature is 25oC. Again, if the
ballast case temperature reaches 110oC, the ballast will be automatically
open circuited to provide the protection to the whole luminaire set up
against thermal damage.

Ten Factors to Consider when Planning a Lighting Retrofit


By Jack Ries
Director, Product Innovation
Holophane

Many schools are removing the aged fluorescent systems installed


in classrooms and offices and replacing them with more
technologically advanced systems. Often the motivation for a retrofit
is reduced operating and energy costs. However, schools are also
reaping the benefits of higher quality illumination.
At Northwood Middle School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, for example,
retrofitting an existing fluorescent system boosted light levels to 50
footcandles in classrooms. Replacing an aging fluorescent system in
the library of Holy Spirit Catholic School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama,
increased horizontal footcandle levels by 34 percent. Vertical
footcandles were also increased by more than 25 percent.
To gain the best results from a lighting retrofit, below are seven factors to consider during the design process:
Project Goals
One of the first questions to ask during the planning stage of a retrofit project is what is the objective? What is the
existing lighting system, and why do you want to replace it? What do you hope to gain with a new system?
In many instances, schools will benefit from technological advances or energy savings that create opportunity costs.
Schools that installed systems with T-12 fluorescent lamps and magnetic ballasts during the 1950s and 60s have
found the systems are not only inefficient but costly to operate. The trend is to replace these systems with the more
efficient T-8 lamps and electronic ballasts.
In the library at Holy Spirit Catholic School, 15 4-foot fluorescent fixtures with three T-8 lamps and electronic ballasts
replaced 12 8-foot units with two T-12 lamps and magnetic ballasts. According to Phil Onstott, owner of ProElectric,
Tuscaloosa, who led the lighting project, the new system increased light levels and reduced energy and maintenance
costs.
The existing system with the T-12 lamps required 1.92 kilowatts, compared to 1.3 kilowatts for the new system. Lamp
life for the T-8 lamps is 20,000 hours, compared to 12,000 hours for the T-12 lamps. With the original system, ballast
temperature was 180 degrees. Now, it is 85 degrees.
The previous system generated a lot of heat on the ceiling, which escalated air conditioning costs. Much less cooling
is needed now, which saves the school money, Onstott described.

Tasks Involved
The next question is how is the facility used? Are students involved in the learning process within this space?
Today, many students are utilizing computers within the classroom. Screens can be difficult to see if the lighting
fixtures are producing a high level of brightness, or if the light is provided directly from one source.
Whether students are working on computers, writing on desktops, or reading the blackboard, they will benefit from
some degree of uplight, which is a form of indirect illumination. Uplight will not only eliminate glare, but will promote
uniformity by reducing the contrast between the light source and the surrounding area. A system with uplight will
improve the luminance of the ceiling and vertical surfaces, such as blackboards and computer screens. Indirect
illumination will also minimize shadows.

Providing too much uplight100 percentwill result in the cloudy day effect. When high levels of indirect
illumination are used, footcandle levels may be higher, but students and teachers will perceive the environment as
graylike a cloudy day. Providing some downlight with perforated holes or a lens in the bottom of the lighting fixture
will make people think the atmosphere is brighter. They will feel more comfortable.

Light Sources
Although fluorescent systems are probably the most popular for classrooms, other light sources may be appropriate
for various areas. Most lamps on the market today can be categorized into three groups: incandescent, fluorescent
and high intensity discharge (HID).
Incandescent lamps are the primary source of illumination in most homes. Short lamp life (750 hours) and low
efficacy (lumens provided per watt) often limit the suitability of this source for classrooms, libraries and offices.
Fluorescent lamps produce light by activating selected phosphors on the inner surface of the bulb with ultraviolet
energy generated by mercury arc. The advantages of fluorescent systems are improved efficacy and longer lamp life
(20,000 hours).
HID sources include mercury vapor, metal halide, high pressure sodium and low pressure sodium. The benefits of
HID sources are their high efficacy in lumens per watt and long lamp life (20,000 hours). HID is also a point source,
which provides the opportunity for better light control.

Specular Reflectors
Specular reflectors may also be used for classroom applications. Specularity is the measure of a surfaces ability to
reflect all of the light at the inverse of the angle at which it is received. Specular reflectors are high in specularity (92
percent), and allow for a high degree of light control.
The opposite of specular is diffuse. White paint is diffuse. When light hits white paint, it scatters in many directions
because white paint is only 6 percent specular. Very little control can be exerted when a white painted surface is used
as a reflector.
Many schools are being retrofit with an industrial channel with a painted baffle under the lamps. This fixture is
sometimes referred to as an ice cube tray or egg crate fixture. Several problems are associated with this type of
fixture: it produces non-uniform light, provides poor vertical illumination, and its inefficient. Essentially, there is no
light control. All of the light is dumped under the fixture.
High vertical light levels are almost impossible to achieve with a baffled fixture because of its mechanical cut-off. The
wide photometry produced by the specular reflector, on the other hand, facilitates high vertical light levels.
Using specular reflectors with T-8 lamps and electronic ballasts will often reduce the number of lamps required by
half. The result is better uniformity and higher light levels with fixtures that require half the energy.

Color Rendering
To facilitate learning within a classroom or lab, consider color rendering. The higher the color rendering index (CRI),
the more vibrant or closer to natural the color in objects will appear. A light source with a CRI of near 100 has the
same rendering capabilities as daylight.

Lamps used in the new lighting system installed at Northwood Middle School are TA 33-watt, with an 85 CRI. Jerry
White, president, Engineering Consultants Inc. (ECI), Fort Wayne, who designed the lighting, said administrators
typically are not concerned about CRI.
When we design a system for a school, we encourage the customer to consider color rendering to achieve the best
possible illumination. Studies have shown that a schools educational benefits are directly proportional to the quality
of the lighting. When students have difficulty reading because of poor visibility, its hard for them to gather and retain
information, White said.

Physical Factors
The layout and dimensions of classrooms and offices will help determine what lighting system is best. If you are
retrofitting an existing system, you may have recessed fixtures installed in a finished ceiling. Then these fixtures are
removed, you will need a lighting fixture that will fit into the opening. If the school is older, the ceilings may be high
enough to leave the recessed system in place and suspend the new fluorescent or HID fixtures below the existing
units.
Often, the artificial lighting in classrooms and offices is supplemented with daylight from skylights or windows. If this is
the case, you may benefit from daylight harvesting, which is turning off a select group of fixtures during the day so
that only some units are energized. To achieve this, the fixtures must be circuited differently and controlled by a photo
cell or relay switch.

Budget Considerations
To keep a lighting retrofit within budget, such factors as energy consumption, lamps and ballast life, installation and
maintenance costs must be analyzed. Sometimes a system may cost more initially, but the savings realized over a
number of years will justify the expense.
At Northwood Middle School, for example, the new lighting system cut energy consumption by 60 percent and
reduced the number of lamps used in classrooms by 50 percent.
Although the new system was more costly to purchase, the school will save money in the long term because fewer
fixtures are installed and they consume less energy, White said.

Financing Alternatives
When examining budget issues, consider financing alternatives. Check with your local utility company and determine
if any rebates (particularly for energy savings) are offered. You should also explore leasing the system versus
purchasing it. Consider the system payback. Sometimes a retrofit can be funded by the energy savings that accrue
over time.

Future Use of the Space


Keep flexibility in mind when designing the lighting system. Rooms within a school must be versatile. A space that is
used as an office today may be utilized as a library, a computer room or lab in the future. The lighting system must be
able to accommodate future changes.

Lighting Contractors
Finally, select a reputable company to conduct the retrofit. Check with other schools or businesses that have
implemented similar projects and obtain contractor names and recommendations. Determine how long any company
you are considering has been in business and ask to visit past installations.
Doing your homework prior to a lighting retrofit will take time. But the results you achieve in terms of quality
illumination and cost savings will likely be worth the hours invested.

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