Filter
Top Products
Commercial Lighting Design Guide Appendix D
Doc. 4775A 95
Appendix D: General Lighting Design
Considerations
Crestron provides many options for illumination control.
The following general lighting design information can help
you formulate a complete, energy efficient lighting design
plan.
Light plays an essential role in our ability to view the
world around us, and how we perceive a space it can
even influence how we act in that space. Lighting can
affect performance, mood, morale, safety, security and
decision making.
The first step in producing the right lighting design is
asking about the use of the space. The lighting designer
can then determine quantity of light, color quality,
brightness and direction.
There are two aspects of lighting design that go hand in
hand: the qualitative or aesthetic aspect, and the
quantitative or engineering aspect. The qualitative aspect
has to do with ensuring that the space has a pleasing feel
and ambiance. It is the artistic interspersing of light and
shadow, illumination and darkness, figure and form.
The quantitative aspect ensures that there is adequate
light for the task at hand. The Illuminating Engineering
Society (IES) of North America publishes guidelines of light
levels for many tasks and activities based on the nature of
the task, the size of objects handled, the detail required,
the average age of the people in that space, and so on.
For example, a typical office is lit to an illumination of 30
to 100 "footcandles". Light levels can also be expressed
in the metric unit "lux" 1 footcandle is approximately
10 lux.
The rate of energy consumption is called "power" and is
measured in watts. A 200 watt lamp is consuming energy
at twice the rate of a 100 watt lamp. The electric
company charges consumers for the total amount of
energy they consume. This is measured in kilowatt-hours
or kWh. A 200-watt lamp burning for 5 hours consumes
1,000 watt-hours of energy, which is a kilowatt-hour.
Note that burning a thousand watt lamp for one hour costs
the same as burning a hundred watt lamp for ten hours.
Static and Dynamic Elements
The lighting design requires you to define the building
envelope, electric lighting, façade features, and other
static elements that affect lighting. Window placement
and glazing, floor layout, building orientation, and fixture
placement are all static elements that define the building
space and lighting environment. Crestron control is
required for the dynamic elements, the elements that
change in response to environmental and human
variables. These static and dynamic elements are
fully integrated in a complete lighting design.
Simple Lighting Coverage Areas
In some rooms, one lighting fixture or a group of fixtures
provide all the illumination. These rooms include closets,
storage rooms, utility rooms and garages. In these areas,
the functionality of the fixtures outweighs style
consideration.
The greatest energy efficiency is achieved with compact
fluorescent downlights. The best performing systems use
a 32 watt "triple tube" downlight, providing more light
than a 100 watt incandescent lamp while consuming 1/3
the amount of energy.
For many spaces, such as garages and closets, a simple
lighting solution is the most appropriate. In storage rooms,
basements, and other places, basic lighting may be all
that is needed. These are excellent opportunities for
energy efficient lighting fixtures, especially if lights are
left on for extended periods of time.
Task Lighting for Specific Work
Areas
Task lights minimize reliance on overhead lighting and
provide directed lighting for countertop work in kitchens,
workshop, office, etc. Energy efficient CFL recessed can
lights or reflectorized CFLs are recommended for this
application. Recessed downlights are located over task
locations, especially in the kitchen, bath, shower, or at a
desk. One recessed light may be all that is needed in a
shower stall or tub, but in a kitchen, a group of downlights
often provides more flexible task lighting. It is best to
locate downlights directly over a task, but in the kitchen
keep in mind that the downlight must also illuminate into
the base cabinets, making fixture locations over the
center of the room equally important.
Under-cabinet lights are used whenever there is an
overhead cabinet above a counter, such as in a kitchen,
laundry room or home office. Fluorescent and LED
under-cabinet lights produce significantly more light
than incandescent strips, and use much less energy.