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Enhancing Productivity Through Quality of Light Tany lobo
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Brightness Management is all about good quality of lighting and not just quantity of lighting (lux levels)
People in offices don't just work at VDT screens; they read, they write, they think, they interact,
they chat, they socialize and in the process exchange all kinds of information in a variety of media.
Each of these essential functions demand a suitably lit ambience, which is aesthetically appealing,
stress free and adaptable.
It is very important to consider ‘people’ as the central element in the workspace lighting design.
Conventional lighting solutions for the VDT intensive workspaces have proved inadequate to meet
these varied needs. The engineering approach is primarily quantity(lux level) driven by using
Darklighter luminaires. We believe that it is the quality of light which brings the space to life.
Like any other branch of technology, lighting has its specific technical terms. There are essentially four basic
variables in lighting technology - luminous flux, luminous intensity, luminance and illuminance.
Luminous Flux, Ø is the rate at which light is emitted by the lamp. It is measured in lumens (lm).
Ratings are found in lamp manufacturers’ lists.
The luminous flux of a 36 W compact fluorescent lamp is 2900 lm and that of a 55 W compact
fluorescent lamp is 4800 lm.
Luminous intensity, I is the amount of luminous flux radiating in a particular direction. It is
measured in candelas (cd)
The way the luminous intensity of reflector lamps and luminaires is distributed is indicated by curves
on a graph. These are known as intensity distribution curves (IDCs). To permit comparison between
different luminaires, IDCs usually show 1000 lm curves.
Luminance, L is the brightness of an illuminated or luminous surface as perceived by the human
2 eye. It is measured in candelas per unit area (cd/m ). For lamps, the "handier" unit of
2 measurement cd/m is used,for details go wiprolighting.com .
In many cases, luminance is a more important indicator of lighting quality than illuminance.
Illuminance, E is measured in lux (lx) on horizontal and vertical planes. Illuminance indicates the
amount of luminous flux from a light source falling on a given surface.
A good Brightness Management philosophy will help in designing the workspaces for:
1. Visually balanced lighting i.e. good light distribution in horizontal & vertical planes
2. Low contrast in working area (near field)
3. Low contrast on walls and ceilings (far field)
4. Lighting for the space, not just for the work surface
By using Brightness Management, designers can transform the offices into MORE cheerful, vibrant, energetic and people centric environments.
Released on: Jan 7, 2007
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