LIGHTING SCHOOL

Simple Office Retrofit Options

By Jennifer Taylor

General lighting in large open-plan offices can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, general lighting evenly illuminates cubicles at high light levels and gives the space a bright appearance. On the other hand, this type of lighting can contribute to excess energy use. Typical office light levels (500 lux or more) are often higher than needed for most office tasks. Uniform distribution wastes lighting energy by illuminating walkways and corridors where extra lighting is unnecessary. Therefore, lowering light levels by 30 percent can save energy without impacting visual performance. Yet this approach can create a gloomy appearance throughout the space. Many lighting specifiers and facilities managers face this conundrum: How can we save energy without major renovations or complaints of darkness and gloom from office workers?

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Doing A Lighting System Audit PLANNING, DESIGN, AND RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS Purpose: Educational and motivational. Influence owner/operator to investigate, purchase, and install energy-efficient lighting products. Influence customers to seek out lighting trade ally. Influence customer to participate in incentive programs. Technical services. Provide customer-specific calculations of energy savings, retrofit cost, and paybacks. Provide required information for financial decision maker. Read more...

Photopic And Scotopic Light The human eye is a light sensing system with a retina (the photoreceptive medium) and an aperture (the pupil). The retina is composed of two types of photoreceptors: cones and rods. The cones provide for color vision and viewing fine detail while rods are associated with night vision. Read more...