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Specific Techniques
6.1 Indoor Lighting Controls (ILC)
The purpose of Indoor Lighting Controls (ILC) is to provide the right light at the right time and place, saving as much energy as possible, whilst simultaneously providing the comfort expected for any application, such as offices, lecture and conference rooms, school classrooms, sport halls, or in hospitals and supermarkets. Industrial installations may also benefit from the energy savings provided by ILC if fluorescent luminaires such as trunking systems are being used.
6.2 Lighting for Display Screen Equipment
In areas containing display screen equipment (DSE) special care must be taken to prevent bright images being reflected in the screen from bright surfaces such as windows or luminaire. Display screen equipment is any screen used for displaying information, whether it is attached directly to a personal computer, measuring equipment or specialist applications, for instance air traffic control screens.
6.3 Light for Learning
The importance of light in our learning environments cannot be under estimated. Research shows that light impacts our health and level of alertness and this extends to those spaces in which we are taught. It is now widely accepted that good lighting in schools can have an important effect on educational attainment and rates of learning.
6.4 Emergency Lighting
Emergency lighting is provided when the supply to the normal lighting fails. It helps people to see their way and move to evacuate quickly to a safe place out of the building. It also avoids panic, restores confidence and enables specific tasks to be made safe.
6.5 Low Mount Road Lighting
When lighting roads there are a number of cases where conventional lanterns do not provide the best solution to the real road situation. Mounting heights may be restricted by structures or local regulations, obtrusive light may be an issue, or maintenance may have to be completed at very high speeds – for example to reduce operators’ exposure to fast-moving traffic, or where downtime for service has to be reduced to the absolute minimum.
6.6 Road Tunnel Lighting
The aim of lighting a tunnel is to create a safe environment that allows road users to pass through the tunnel without any accidents, and the lighting needs to be suitable for both daytime and night-time hours. The most critical requirement is to detect obstacles on the road, especially when you are entering and leaving the tunnel.
6.7 Lighting Maintenance
When a lighting installation is first commissioned conditions are at their optimal, that is the luminaires, lamps and reflective surfaces in the space are new and clean. Through the life of the installation these conditions will deteriorate as age and dirt reduce the effectiveness of the lighting.
6.8 Control of Obtrusive Light
Obtrusive light is the light that does not illuminate a task or reference area but spills onto other non-related areas. This not only reduces the efficiency of the lighting installation as a proportion of the light produced is being wasted, but can also cause inconvenience or damage in the surrounding areas.
6.9 Lighting for Crime Prevention
A firm body of evidence now exists to support the theory that lighting can have a positive effect on crime prevention. With the increasing prevalence of CCTV cameras in shops and public spaces lighting also has an important role in aiding the authorities in identifying suspects. These benefits however have to be designed into a lighting installation, and it should be accepted that improvements in lighting cannot overcome bad design of structures or of a space.
6.10 Lighting and Health
When producing a lighting design the ability of lighting to provide an atmosphere by manipulating the lit effect is one of the key skills of the designer. The feel of a space can affect the experience of an observer within that space. Within the Thorn PEC philosophy this is the Comfort attribute, and has descriptors such as calm, lively, balanced, reassuring, inspiring, welcoming, glitter, etc.
6.11 Sustainability
One of the worlds most pressing concerns is achieving a sustainable environment, and electric lighting has a major impact on sustainability. The key to sustainability in lighting is ecodesign, efficient operation and planned recycling at the endof the product life. These are fundamental considerations in the Thorn PEC programme. Eco-design is practiced in the creation of a lighting product, whilst operation is when the product is put into service in lighting schemes.
6.12 Outdoor Lighting Controls (OLC)
The prevalent technology used in conventional outdoor lighting has minimal control. Time clocks or photocells determine if a luminaire is on or off and monitoring and reporting of luminaire faults is dependant upon local residents or street patrols. The lighting is therefore inflexible and the quality of maintenance can be poor. The use of modern outdoor lighting controls can overcome these difficulties and supply many additional benefits. |
