Lighting Research and Technology current issue

Editorial

van Bommel, W. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:25:37 PDT

Energy efficiency in lighting -- considerations and possibilities

Loe, D. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:25:37 PDT

Energy efficiency is a prime consideration for all lighting professionals with reasons ranging from the threat of climate change through burning fossil fuels to the sustainability and availability of energy supplies as well as rapidly increasing costs. But it must be balanced against the need for well-lit environments to ensure the productivity, well-being, safety and health of the people it serves. A well-lit environment must provide both visual function and visual amenity for the particular application and for the architecture, together with an efficient use of energy. This means considering all the elements that contribute to the design and operation in an all-embracing manner. The challenge now is to address more critically the design, operation and specification of electric lighting in combination with available daylight. This will require new thinking and research to achieve satisfactory, efficient environments that will need investment for optimum results. But the outcome could be a long-term benefit to society with the benefit being greater than the sum of the parts.

Lamps for improving the energy efficiency of domestic lighting

Jacob, B — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:25:37 PDT

Change is coming to the domestic lighting market. The light source that has dominated domestic lighting since the birth of electric lighting is going to be squeezed out and others with different characteristics will replace it. Some of these are already on the market, some are entering the market now and some have yet to make an entrance. The householder is certainly going to have plenty of lamp types to choose from, all of them claiming to be ‘low energy’. Alternative domestic light sources include compact fluorescents which produce enormous energy savings over the incandescent lamp, but do not have its visual appearance, colour quality or instantaneous full light output. Tungsten halogen lamps do possess the light qualities of the incandescent lamp and are available in the traditional light bulb shape, but do not provide the same energy savings as compact fluorescents. LED’s are potentially the ideal replacement for incandescent lamps having a long life with a discrete appearance, but improvements to efficacy for the warm white version are required to meet Building Regulations. Research on OLEDs continues, but current usage is limited to display applications, a situation which may not change for some years.

Measurement and specification of lighting: A look at the future

Goodman, T. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:25:37 PDT

Measurement is at the heart of our modern technological world, supporting trade, industry and science and underpinning the regulatory framework that helps maintain and improve our quality of life in areas as diverse as public health and safety, climate change, and sport and leisure. Unlike a large proportion of the millions of measurements made each day, those relating to things we can ‘see’, such as lamps and lighting, are not based only on physical parameters, but must also take account of the human visual responses. This paper explores the shortcomings in our current measurement systems for light and lighting, and highlights where further research is needed in order to understand more fully the ways in which light affects us. The latest advances in instrumentation and data analysis techniques are also reviewed and the potential consequences for measurements of lighting and glazing are considered.

Road lighting and energy saving

Boyce, P., Fotios, S, Richards, M — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:25:37 PDT

This paper examines how the lighting of roads in the UK might be changed so as to preserve the benefits while minimising energy consumption. It is divided into four sections, these being changes in technology, changes in patterns of use, changes in standards and contracts and changes in the basis of design. Useful changes in technology and patterns of use are available now, but their use will raise the question as to whether or not environmental considerations can override conventional financial constraints. Changes in standards and the basis of design are much more long term. Comparisons of road lighting standards used in different countries show significant differences that deserve examination. As for the basis of design, consideration of the importance of light to fatal and personal injury accidents of different types suggests that road lighting should be concentrated where pedestrians are common, not where speeds are highest. Ultimately, considering carefully what problem road lighting is intended to solve and whether or not road lighting is the best answer is the key to minimising the energy consumption of road lighting without diminishing road safety.

Daylight metrics and energy savings

Mardaljevic, J, Heschong, L, Lee, E — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:25:37 PDT

The drive towards sustainable, low-energy buildings has increased the need for simple, yet accurate methods to evaluate whether a ‘daylit’ building meets minimum standards for energy and human comfort performance. Current metrics do not account for the temporal and spatial aspects of daylight, nor of occupants comfort or interventions. This paper reviews the historical basis of current compliance methods for achieving daylit buildings, proposes a technical basis for development of better metrics, and provides two case study examples to stimulate dialogue on how metrics can be applied in a practical, real-world context.

Good lighting with less energy: Where next?

Richards, M, Carter, D — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:25:37 PDT

Book review: Cuttle C (2008) Lighting by Design. 2nd Edition, Oxford: Architectural Press. 243 pp. Colour and black and white illustrations. Soft covers. {pound}34.99 ISBN 978-0-7506-8768-3

Bean, R. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:25:37 PDT