Some things about Lighting…

Today’s post will be - as the title proclaims - about lighting! I honestly am very interested in lighting and the science behind it, so this post has been fun to write.

There’s a LOT to lighting. Originally I was going to write about how eyes work, and deteriorate as we age (this might end up in another post) and different types of lighting incandescent, fluorescent, LED, etc. But I decided that an overall would be easier to understand -at least for this moment in time, so I’ll try to break it down as simply as possible without going too far down the rabbit hole.

In general there are three different types of lighting (technically four) but three main ones. They’re generally known as; general lighting, task lighting and accent lighting (with the fourth being decorative lighting). Each has their own use such as;

General lighting: “is designed to provide uniform lighting to a space. Often…general lighting are designed for indirect or reflected illumination and are hidden from view. General lighting allows people to walk safely through a space by reducing sharp contrasts between light sources. This enables people to perceive the overall shape and size of a space.” (pg 16 fundamentals of lighting)

Task lighting: “Provide(s) quality lighting for specific activities and tasks. Task lighting is a direct form of lighting that enables users to see the critical details of an activity. A quality lighting environment includes the appropriate balance of general lighting and task lighting. The illumination level of task lighting should be approximately three times the level of general lighting… when planning a task lighting system it is important to build in flexibility and control for the users of the space. E.g. adjustable…dimmers can customize the lighting for the specific needs of the users at a particular time and save energy by localizing the high-illumination levels where they are required.” (pg 18-19 fundamentals of lighting)

Accent lighting: “or focal lighting… can be as simple as a single spotlight trained on a piece of art on a wall. Some of the illumination from accent lighting can also contribute to the interior’s general lighting, but the purpose of accent or focal lighting is to bring attention to an object or element in a space. Accent lighting creates drama, variety interest and excitement in an interior….(it) emphasizes artwork, sculptures, water, fabrics, architectural details, textures, forms and plants. The location and aiming angle must be chosen so as to above direct glare to the eyes of the users. A preferred angled to a wall is 30 degrees.” (20-21 fundamentals of lighting)

Some examples of these can be;

Layered lighting - which is a combination of things like general lighting (which includes daylighting) and task lighting, color of the lighting, effects of the direction of the illumination (so if there will be glare or not etc.), sustainability factors, and lighting systems.

Layered lighting such as in bathrooms would be something like having a task light over the bathroom mirror and another light over the toilet, and another over the shower though these are all technically task lights, if you have different switches and use one over the shower for a more general light approach just to use the bathroom, then it could be considered a layer.

All areas of the home should be considered for lighting including hallways, and staircases. Though these would be task lighting, for hallways you could find creative ways to showcase art on the walls while also having the task light necessary to walk safely through the hall. I.E. “Variations in lighting, including accent lighting, can help reduce the apparent length of a hallway and can help to avoid dark areas. For layered lighting, all vertical and horizontal planes should be considered, including structural luminaries in the ceiling, transoms, above doors, and interior windows. Hallways rarely have natural light, so transoms and those openings known as interior windows on walls adjoining hallways can provide excellent illumination during the day.”(Winchip, S. M. (2011a). Fundamentals of Lighting. Fairchild Books. pg 277)

For all lighting having ways that enable people to use it to their affective need is necessary. As stated before using dimmers, or even occupancy sensors can help with energy efficiency, and the need for help with turning on lights, or those who are light sensitive. Even the height of a light, or ease of understanding what switches go to which light for guests can even be important to think about. The ease at which people can understand how to use their environment is also very important to how a home can function, since light is important for getting around, and seeing what you’re doing this is arguably fundamental and something to really consider.

Other places like kitchens are also very important since there’s a lot of cooking, cleaning and preparing. Having carefully planned spaces for the lights help with glare, and overall visibility. Having a high color rendering index (CRI - something I will be talking about at a later date) can help so that the colors of the food can be seen accurately. Having less glare, and shadow in kitchens must be thought about, and even the range of variability for the multiple activities, and gatherings that happen in the kitchen are something to think about. Do you throw parties, or have lots of people over often? Do you all tend to gravitate in the kitchen? Do you have lower lighting in the kitchen to grab a snack when watching tv? These are important things to think about.

Other areas are offices, bathrooms, etc. These are also places where task lighting is important. If you read a lot and in various areas consider where you enjoy it the most, and make sure that you have lighting near by, like a table light with the shade approximately at eye level so there is enough light for reading. If writing, and having a desk light, having a light that is “approximately 12 inches from the individual and 25 inches to the right or left of the paper or keyboard…to avoid shadows on the task the light should be to the left for a right handed person, and vise versa for a left handed”. With the shade being at eye level once again. (Winchip, S. M. (2011a). Fundamentals of Lighting. Fairchild Books. pg 281).

Other things to consider are with daylighting. As important as daylight is- it is also important to consider the cons to daylighting. Which is glare. Daylighting is considered a “general lighting”, but with heat and glare it can pose a problem. Shades, blinds and light shelves can help mitigate these issues, along with protective film on windows, or even the placement of your home depending on which direction your house is facing (North, South, East or West).

For electricity and making sure that you’re keeping up with the amount you’re using you could always check your meter, but having a surge protector or the like that you could turn on/off when in or not in use, and stopping the current from going too far

Unplugging your electric items when you’re finished using them

Having them on a designated switch where you can turn the switch on or off

Making sure that any newer appliances are high-efficiency versions

*There are instances with health where this may not be easy, but doing you’re best where you can is all you can ask of yourself.

There’s so much more to lighting besides these, I just wanted to give as brief of a general to lighting as possible. Let me know if there are other things you’d like to know about lighting.

Achieved book - Fundamentals of Lighting:

https://archive.org/details/fundamentalsofli0000winc_z6d5