0000000000146391
AUTHOR
Laura Bellia
Effects Of Variation Of The Color Characteristics Of Lighting Sources By The Environmental Context
Over recent years the importance of using daylight in indoor environments to achieve reductions of energy consumption was largely discussed, but the use of daylight is even more important because of its effects on human beings. Daylight has a more uniform spectral distribution than the artificial sources (especially discharge lamps) and consequently it allows a better color perception; moreover it changes during the day both in intensity and spectral power distribution (SPD). For all these reasons, daylight ensures a high comfort in carrying out all the human activities and is also important to the circadian rhythm regulation; therefore it results necessary to evaluate the entrance of natur…
Evaluation of Daylight Availability for Energy Savings.
Dynamic daylight simulations are very useful instruments in daylighting design process. They allow an in depth analysis of indoor daylight availability levels and define if they are adequate to perform a particular visual task. Their results can be used to design shading devices or lighting control systems and compare different technical solutions. The use of these simulations is likely to spread in the common design practice since some regulations and green building rating systems suggest their use. This paper presents dynamic daylight simulation results related to an open-plan office, performed with Autodesk 3ds Max Design ® , which is a calculation software validated by recent researches…
Lighting control systems: Factors affecting energy savings' evaluation
Abstract The use of automated lighting control systems allows to reduce lighting costs and to achieve significant energy savings. The energy performances of controls are affected by many factors, the impact of which is very difficult to account for during the design process. The goal of this paper is to describe the factors that influence the control systems’ energy performances, to analyze how the currently available calculation tools take them into account and finally to propose a simple method to adjust results obtained from the simulation software.
The colour of light for urban spaces
Light in urban spaces was first introduced to prevent crimes against both people and properties and, while there is no study that confirms crimes' reduction in lit spaces, it is undeniable that people feel safer in lit urban spaces. Over the years it became evident that light can also improve the liveability of cities and enhance their characteristics, therefore in the last years a growing attention was paid to urban lighting design taking into account the environmental impact and energy saving requirements too. The will to use the lighting design project to improve the liveability of historical centres it’s clear: the city during the night is no more conceived like a sum of lit architectur…
Indoor lighting quality: Effects of different wall colours
This paper reports the results of measurements performed in a test room to investigate the impact of using different wall colours and light scenes on indoor lighting quality. Eye level spectral irradiances were measured for a user located inside the room and seated at a desk. These measurements allow the use of the Irradiance Toolbox, which makes it possible to calculate equivalent illuminances for the photopigments in the human eye. Moreover, the CIECAM02 colour appearance model was used to investigate the variations in hue and chroma values of the different wall colours when changing the light scene. The results demonstrate that there are significant variations in eye level spectral irra…
A Survey on Daylighting Education in Italian Universities : Knowledge of Standards, Metrics and Simulation Tools
Daylighting is a strategic topic to achieve sustainable buildings, so it is more and more imperative that it is implemented in architecture curricula to prepare a new generation of daylighting-oriented practitioners. In this frame, the DAYKE project (Daylight Knowledge in Europe) was set up to explore the level of knowledge about daylighting among European professionals and students. DAYKE-Europe was replicated as DAYKE-Italy to study the knowledge of daylight standards, metrics and software among Italian architecture students, and to compare it to that observed within DAYKE-Europe. A sample of 542 questionnaires were collected in five universities. Primary outcomes were: (i) a general low …
Dynamic Lighting Strategies with Load Modulation Purposes to Reduce Peak Electrical Demand
This paper proposes a study about the feasibility to modulate the indoor artificial lighting, taking into account both achievable energy savings and comfort conditions, in order to reduce lighting electric loads. In particular, it focuses on the possibility, on one hand, to decrease the luminous flux and, on the other hand, to change the Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT), in order to decrease the absorbed power. Moreover, the impact of daylight-linked control systems was considered. Finally, the possibility to combine the different technical solutions was analysed. The paper proposes the definition of daily scheduling referred to lighting energy management, in order to modulate the maximu…
The role of weather data files in Climate-based Daylight Modeling
Abstract This paper illustrates the results of daylight simulations of a simple standalone office carried out using different weather data files (IWEC, Meteonorm, Satel-Light and TRY), for five European locations (Copenhagen, London, Milan, Nancy, Rome). The aim was to analyze the impact of choosing one weather file or another on the prediction of daylight availability in an indoor environment. Results were analyzed both in terms of Annual and Monthly Light Exposures and dynamic daylight performance metrics. It was demonstrated that IWEC, Meteonorm and Satel-Light weather files determine similar outcomes, instead TRY weather data always produces considerably lower values. Moreover the diffe…
Assessing the lighting systems flexibility for reducing and managing the power peaks in smart grids
Abstract The application of “shiftable” or “modulable” load (i.e. washing machine, dishwasher, etc.) in a Smart Grid, can provide energy saving or modify the power flows in the grid, allowing a reduction of the electrical power peak. This paper explores the possibility to modulate the indoor artificial lighting to support this reduction. The study examines the impact of two different measures of power shaving. On the one hand, the change of Correlated Colour Temperature of the light source, and, on the other hand, the dimming of its luminous flux. The possibility to merge the above-mentioned technical solutions is also analyzed. Based on these strategies, several daily schedules of lighting…
Indoor artificial lighting: Prediction of the circadian effects of different spectral power distributions.
The study presented in this paper aims to evaluate if and how the environment affects the circadian impact of a light source by predicting circadian stimulus (CS) resulting from the exposure to different light scenes, using equations reported in studies by Rea et al. The main findings are: (1) Above 600 lx at eye level the increase of CS is little; (2) Between 50 lx and 200 lx at the eye level an increase of only 50 lx determines a significant increase of CS; (3) Light sources with correlated colour temperatures between 2900 K and 4200 K have similar impacts on the circadian system according to the calculation method used; (4) Even an almost neutral environment affects the circadian impact…
Effects of daylight and artificial light on melatonin suppression in educational environment.
An analysis of the characteristics of daylight in a scholastic environment was carried out by comparing SPDs and CCTs of the natural source (sky) during typical winter days with contemporaneous measurements of spectral irradiances and CCTs detected at the eyes level. Data obtained from these measurements together with those detected with artificial light, were used to evaluate the effects on melatonin suppression during the day according to the procedure proposed by Rea et al [2]. Despite illuminances on desks under natural and artificial light corresponded to the EN 12464-1 Standard requirements, the irradiances detected at eye's level, which are essential for melatonin suppression, do not…
Lit environments quality: A software for the analysis of luminance maps obtained with the HDR imaging technique
Abstract Energy performance of lighting systems has assumed a significant role in the assessment of buildings’ consumptions and consequently lighting design is aimed to reduce installed power but at the same time to achieve an excellent lighting quality both for visual and health purposes. Lighting design is nowadays essentially based on illuminance values on visual tasks and surrounding areas, but today designers’ and researchers’ interest is focused on the analysis of luminance maps obtained through video luminance meters or with numeric simulation tools. Luminance maps availability focus the attention on a more accurate study of the light reaching the eyes (luminance), rather than on the…
Dynamic daylight simulations: Impact of weather file’s choice
Abstract This paper is the second step of a research project aimed at investigating the impact of the use of different weather data files on daylight simulations’ results. Simulations were carried out for a simple standalone office using three weather files (IWEC, Meteonorm and Satel-Light) for two European locations (Copenhagen and Rome); moreover the office’s exposure was changed according to the four main orientations (North, East, South and West). Results were analyzed both in terms of Annual and Monthly Light Exposures, dynamic daylight performance metrics (DA, DAcon, UDI) and sunlight’s incidence. It was demonstrated that differences between the results obtained with the different wea…
Methods to Evaluate Lighting Quality in Educational Environments
Abstract The current standard for lighting of indoor work places (EN 12464-1) essentially prescribes values of photometric quantities (illuminance, Unified Glare Index, etc.); therefore it does not allow a comprehensive analysis of the luminous environment. In Italy, educational buildings do not always comply with the standard requirements for lighting. Therefore an analysis of their current state is needed and this paper illustrates two methods, developed by the authors, to carry out this investigation: the former is based on the analysis of luminance maps obtained through the HDR imaging technique whereas the latter focuses on the evaluation of non-visual effects of light.
An Overview on Solar Shading Systems for Buildings
Abstract In recent years, different types of solar shading devices have been proposed, depending on building orientation, location, window characteristics, etc. They can contribute to improve or worsen building thermal and lighting performances both from an energy and comfort point of view. The present paper reports a critical analysis of some studies that investigate shading devices’ effects on building thermal and/or lighting performances. This article points out the difficulty in comparing the different results given the lack of uniformity between the studies, since they analysed buildings with different characteristics, locations and using various indices. Therefore a protocol to carry …
Questionnaires and simulations to assess daylighting in Italian university classrooms for IEQ and energy issues
Abstract Results from the DAYKE-Italy project are presented. An investigation on daylighting in eight classrooms in five Italian universities was carried out through a combined approach: an ad-hoc survey administered to students to investigate how they perceive daylight in classroom, and numerical simulations (DIVA + ALFA) to calculate a set of objective metrics (daylight, circadian, and energy-related). A sample of 542 questionnaires was collected through two sessions and the subjective judgments were correlated to objective metrics. Results from descriptive and statistical analyses showed: (i) the correlation was significant for all daylight metrics: among them, average daylight factor an…
The impact of the software’s choice on dynamic daylight simulations’ results: A comparison between Daysim and 3ds Max Design®
Abstract Evaluating indoor daylight availability is extremely important in order to define the characteristics of an environment in terms of visual comfort and energy performances of lighting systems. The criticism of the static calculation approach based on Daylight Factor led to the development of the Climate Based Daylight Modeling (CBDM) one. Dynamic simulations are performed thanks to the use of specific software and the choice of a calculation tool or another could provide different output results. Therefore the aim of this paper is to compare results of dynamic daylight simulations carried out with two different software, Daysim and 3ds Max Design® and referred to a simple office loc…
Winter and summer analysis of daylight characteristics in offices
Abstract This paper reports a comparison of the results of daylight measurements carried out in summer and winter in three offices, with different exposures and characteristics, located in Naples (Italy). The aim was to extend and enrich the findings of a previous study which reported the results of summer measurements about desk illuminances and circadian impact. The research project includes measurements carried out in other seasons and a comparison between measured and software simulated values with the final goal of developing design guidelines. This research confirmed that the spectral distributions and CCTs of the light reaching the eye of a person seated at the desk in these offices …
Lighting in educational environments: An example of a complete analysis of the effects of daylight and electric light on occupants
Abstract Light induces not only visual responses but also non-visual effects, indeed it affects performance, mood, attention and influences the synchronization of the biological clock. Duration, timing, intensity and the spectral power distribution of the light that reaches the eyes can have influence on human circadian rhythm and consequently on health. Given the important impact of the non-visual responses on people wellbeing, developing a model that allows lighting designers to predict them is a fundamental goal. In this paper a case study is reported: a series of measurements were carried out in a University classroom in order to study daylight and electric light characteristics and als…
Daylighting offices: A first step toward an analysis of photobiological effects for design practice purposes
Abstract The research presented in this paper reports an analysis of daylight in three offices with different exposures and characteristics located in Naples (Italy). The goal was to fully investigate daylight characteristics, also considering the circadian impact of daylight entering these offices, with the hope to develop guidelines to better assess daylight quality in built environments. One of the main findings of this research is that the spectral distributions and CCTs of the light reaching the eye of a person seated at the desk in these offices are similar irrespective of the offices' different characteristics (dimensions, surfaces' spectral reflectances, external obstructions, etc.)…