SCHOOL OF HOUSING, BUILDING AND PLANNING,

UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA

REG 261: BUILDING SERVICES

TOPIC:

IMPACT OF INDOOR LIGHTING ON BUILDING PERFORMANCE

AND OCCUPANTS’ PRODUCTIVITY

PREPARED BY:

NAME MATRIC NO. MAJOR

AW BOON WEI 132605 QUANTITY SURVEYING
LIEW KIAN HONG 132648 QUANTITY SURVEYING
YIP WENG SIN 132764 BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

LECTURER:

Assoc. Prof. Dr Mohd Rodzi Ismail

SUBMISSION DATE:

8th MAY 2018

 TABLE CONTENTS

Indoor lighting
Types of indoor lighting
Introduction
Executive Summary
Purpose
Impact of Indoor Lighting to the
Impact of Indoor Lighting to the
INTRODUCTION
Light is the fundamental need for every living organism in the world, especially human
beings as we need it in daily basis for performing our daily routines. Light provides human
visual functions, emotional perception and also creates biological effects.

Building worldwide contribute to roughly 40% of the world’s annual energy consumption.
Lighting has the highest share (33%) in the calculation of average electricity consumption in the
UK office buildings (CIBSE, 2015).

As we know, human spend most of their time indoors and the majority of the world’s
population lives in urban areas and work in an office environment. A trend of global shift in the
economy from the manufacturing sector towards the service and knowledge-based sectors
which operate in indoor environments, which can also be deemed as indoor office environment.

For instance, the visual environment affects learner’s ability to perceive visual
stimuli and affects his or her mental attitude and hence performance. Regardless the impact of
physical effect of lighting the effect of psychological impact of lighting is stronger. Light sends a
visual massage to people mind which can affect people’s incentive levels and moods. Light also
affects people’s biological clock such as sleeping and waking period. Light for propel in their
environments works like an alert that can be the cause of many changes in people’s mood. Any
changes in people’s moods can be a cause of physical problems or health.

Indoor Lighting Fucntion

Indoor lighting can provide visual function. Illumination of task area in conformity with
relevant standards. Glare-free and convenient indoor environment is thus produced. Besides,
indoor lighting affects people in terms of emotional perception. Lighting enhances architecture
and also creates scenes and effects. Light creating biological effects that supports people’s
circadian rhythm, which can stimulate or relax building occupants.

Table below highlights the five core elements of indoor lighting function:
 Pleasant The pleasance of the indoor quality is relied on the use of wall lighting,
instead of the majority of the lighting coming directly down from the
ceiling. A non-uniform distribution of brightness in the space. How
bright or dim is dependent upon the visual tasks being performed within
the space.

Public Rely on higher levels of illumination with a more uniform distribution of

light from overhead lighting sources, predominantly

Spacious Provide overall high levels of illumination with even distribution of light
on the walls and uniform lighting on all surfaces

Relaxed Use non-uniform distribution, wall lighting and activity/ task planes
with peripheral luminance

Visual clear Provide higher luminance on the activity/ task planes, typically.

INDOOR LIGHTING ENVIRONMENTS

Visual comfort is very important for well-being and productivity of the occupants in
buildings. Visual comfort defines lighting conditions and the views from ones’ workspace.
Insufficient light and especially daylight or glare reduces the ability to see objects or details
clearly.
Architectural design has a direct impact on office lighting and office lighting has a direct
impact on well-being and productivity. The access to natural lighting as well as artificial lighting
is essential in order to ensure well-being of occupants in areas where natural lighting is missing
or during evening when the natural lighting fades.
Densely laid offices and open plan offices have negative effect on visual comfort which
leads to negative impact on occupant well-being. Geometry of windows, photometry of surfaces,
amount of glazing. Visual comfort plays vital role in overall productivity, comfort and well-being
of the occupants that buildings need to avoid excessive use of artificial lighting yet still maintain
some level of optimality.
 Nevertheless, indoor lighting environments are commonly affected by the phenomenon
of glare. This problem can be adjusted/ addressed by installing shades (Eg: Automatic roller
shade system). With a manual roller shade, an occupant needs to adjust the shade and this tends
to be neglected. Automated system involves time control.
Yet, there is a condition that may optimize the indoor environment quality. By
maximising the open feeling and to allow sufficient natural light penetration. The building
envelope intersect with the curtain wall, using reflected type Low-E pair glass which permeates
an ample amount of daylighting into the building, providing pleasant lighting and visual
environment.

Lighting at work is of utmost important to the health and safety of everyone using the
workplace. The quicker and easier it is to see a hazard, the more easily it is avoided. The types of
hazard present at work therefore determine the lighting requirements for safe operation.
On the other hand, not only poor lighting affect the health of people at work, thus
causing symptoms like eyestrain, migraine and headaches, but it does also linked to Sick
Building Syndrome in new and refurbished buildings. Headaches, lethargy, irritability and poor
concentration are the symptoms.

INDOOR LIGHTING EFFECTS

A) OCCUPANT EFFICIENCY

i) Positive Impact
Artificial light provides people extra time for work, studies and leisure. Most of the modern
artificial lights can mimic natural daylight or almost of it. This allows people to extend their
work-day. Some people prefer to work during night-hours, especially students. designers,
architect and interior designers. Without indoor lighting, people will be unable to do their work
during night-hours.
Besides, artificial lighting sometimes serves the best illuminance for people to work.
Yellow glow lighting would provide the best and comfortable illuminance for people to read
books. Artificial lighting also stimulates other industries such as indoor gardening. With the
indoor lighting, it is possible to grow different plants indoor, which is a great chance for people
who live in places where summers end fast.
 Artificial light is composed of visible light and some ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR)
radiations that its high emission level would jeopardize skin and especially human’s eyes. It
does also disrupt the human body clock and hormonal system, which then leads to health
problem.

Appropriate exposure to electrical light during periods of the day with local
environmental darkness has become a milestone of modern life. “Ill-timed light exposure”
(during late evening, night and early morning), in addition to light exposure during the day may
result in attenuation of melatonin production and disruption of normal circadian rhythms
(Czeisler et al. 1990). Light exposure induces phase advances and phase delays at different
points in the circadian cycle, depending on the time during which light exposure occurs.
Henceforth, consecutive ill-timed light exposures may induce inappropriate phase shift of the
circadian system, forbidding for its complete synchronization to the actual light conditions and
leading to circadian disruption.
LIGHTING EFFECTS

Glare It occurs when one part of the visual field is way brighter than the average
brightness to which the visual system is adapted. Direct interference with
vision will produce disability glare. Where vision is not directly impaired
yet there is discomfort, annoyance, irritability or distraction, the condition
is called discomfort glare.

Flicker Light modulation at lower frequencies (beyond 50 Hz or less) which is

visible to most people is called flicker. The eye is particularly sensitive to
flicker and it is detectable at the edges of the visual system’s field of view.
Flicker can be a source of both discomfort and fatigue that even cause
epileptic seizures in some people. Hence, it needs to be avoided.

Veiling Veiling reflections are high luminance reflections which overlay the detail
reflections of the task. Such reflections may be sharp-edged or vague in outline but
regardless of form, they can affect task performance and cause discomfort

Lighting may also influence cognitive performance and problem solving ability by interfering
with physiological factors like circadian rhythms (Juslen & Tenner, 2005).
Wang & Boubekri, 2009; Yildirim et al. 2007). However, the nature of modern working means
that for many workers access to natural lighting is not always possible. 24/7 working, shift-
work, office work and different geographical latitudes mean that most employees work in
environments where there is a need for artificial lighting for some or all of their work period.
This emphasises a need to understand how the use of artificial lighting impacts directly or
indirectly on worker well-being and performance

Poor lighting can result in eye strain, fatigue and aching, which in turn is likely to lead to
deterioration in performance, particularly if work relies on visual acuity such as computer-
based (VDT) job roles (Parsons, 2000, Nave 1984). As this type of work is now common-place,
the importance of lighting for visual health and performance at work is likely to become
increasingly important
many studies have documented significant effects in areas such as visual performance and well-
being. Hedge et al. (1995) found that office workers preferred ceiling suspended, lensed-
indirect up-lighting to a parabolic down lighting system, and experienced fewer problems of
screen glare and tired eyes. Juslen (2007) found that when horizontal luminance was alternated
per work shift (between 800 and 1200 lux) the speed of workers in a factory assembling
electronic devices increased significantly in the 1200 lux condition; an effect that held for
morning and evening shifts in the winter, and during the evening shift in the summer

Another study by Knez (2001) found that although overall participants performed better in the
‘warm’ than in the ‘cool’ and artificial ‘daylight’ white lighting, men performed better than
women in the ‘warm’ and ‘cool’ white lighting, and women performed better than men in the
artificial ‘daylight’ white lighting. In a prospective controlled intervention study, Mills and
Tomkins (2007) found that fluorescent light sources with high correlated colour temperature
(17000K) improved concentration, fatigue, alertness, work performance, and mental health.

Colour of lighting could also affect the mood and performance of human, in which it varies with
gender. Older adults show a negative mood in cool bluish lighting, whilst younger adults show a
more negative mood in warm, reddish light (Knez & Kers, 2000)

Viola et al. (2008) compared the impact of exposure to blue-enriched white light (17000K) and
white light (4000K) on alertness, performance, and evening fatigue among workers in an office
setting during daytime work hours. the researchers found that the blue-enriched white light
(17000K) improved the subjective measures of alertness, positive mood, fatigue, performance,
irritability, concentration and eye discomfort. They also found that daytime sleepiness was
reduced, and the quality of subjective nocturnal sleep was improved, by the blue-enriched white
light.

Ballal et al. (2006) carried out their research in real work environments in different countries
to investigate whether the mood of people working indoors is affected by lighting and its colour.
Workers display a low mood when lighting was perceived as being too bright or too dim, but
mood improved when the lighting was perceived as being at the optimum level.
a very recent field study of the behavioural effects of an energy-saving lighting retrofit by Veitch
et al. (2010) found that individual control over workstation lighting was perceived as more
comfortable than recessed parabolic louvered luminaires.

Daylight glare has the measurement metric known as Daylight Glare Index (DGI). Office areas
are recommended to have 22 DGI for food visual combination/ fusion of daylight and artificial
lighting. Lighting control mechanisms can be used to control it.

For example, Kuller and Laike (1998) found that fluorescent light powered by conventional and
high frequency ballasts impacted on the well-being, performance and physiological arousal of
workers in a laboratory office: when the light was powered by conventional ballasts individuals
in the critical flicker fusion frequency (CFF) condition showed increased speed but reduced
accuracy in task performance.

There is an obvious link between lighting and workplace safety: insufficient lighting leads to
increased error rates, and in many cases small or significant injuries. These included insufficient
light on the task, uneven lighting, too bright natural/artificial lighting, high reflectance of
surfaces, strong shadows, reduced contrast of task due to veiling reflections and flicker
Emergency lighting, standby and escape lighting help to ensure employee safety in emergency
conditions and therefore contribute to safer work environments.
IMPACTS ON BUILDING PERFORMANCE
Building Performance is a philosophy and a science based on the premise that homes should be
safe, healthy, comfortable, durable, and efficient.

FIVE PILLARS OF BUILDING PERFORMANCE

Safety, health, comfort, efficiency and durability are the five aspects of the pillars of
building performance.

SAFETY
Guarantee the safety of home is the fundamental part of a building performance.
Unequivocally, indoor lighting serves as one part of controlling the light intensity of the indoor
environment, especially during the night and gloomy days.

HEALTH
Lighting also determine our eye’s comfort. Strong lighting would adversely affect the
occupants’ eyes condition, which then indirectly influence the occupants’ health.

COMFORT
Too much artificial lighting such as T8 fluorescent lamp and incandescent lighting would
create unnecessary excess heat which disrupt the comfort of the occupants. During hot days or
summers, people are discourage to work under hot and inconvenient place.

EFFICIENCY
Efficiency is controlling the working performance of individuals. Indoor lighting’
luminance would affect one’s performance conditions due to the indoor environment lighting
quality that is brought by the indoor lighting.

DURABILITY
Ultraviolet (UV) light degrades many materials, including most plastics, wood, fabric, and paint.
Along with heat, this is a major cause of the degradation of roofing materials -- and the reason
vegetated (green) roofs can prolong the life of a roof membrane. Plastics that are used outdoors,
including vinyl siding, are typically treated with UV stabilizers, but in some cases these
stabilizers themselves carry environmental burdens. The toxic metals lead and cadmium were
often added to PVC in the past to provide UV stability; today, less-toxic stabilizers are generally
used, though disposal of older vinyl products is still a significant source of lead and cadmium in
municipal waste incinerators. UV light also degrades interior materials, though UV-blocking
glazings can reduce damage and prolong the life of interior finishes and furnishings.

According to the experts’ interview “Good lighting classrooms can motivate students for better
learning”, “In a good lighting classroom, students are more relax, do not sleepy” and they have a
kind of motivation in that place to learn better.
Quality of light in classrooms consider how students concentrate to what they should
have done or work on”. This is the key to deciding the performance and efficiency of the game.
Providing an appropriate lighting quality with the combination of daylight and artificial
light in classrooms will motivate students to learn more and it will improve their performance.
Excess of direct sunlight and artificial light can produce a glare that distract visual comfort of
human being. A low level of lighting can lead to ocular discomfort and improper lighting design
brings to worker dissatisfaction. Glare-free and thermally comfortable spaces have a high effect
on occupant productivity.

DISCUSSION
 Visual comfort is very imperative for people to do their chores in their good form. Low
rate of productivity could be occurred by the virtue of the extreme or wrong level of illuminance
of light that might produce glare. Glare would hurt human’s eye thus causing eye distraction. For
example, strong daylight that penetrates into the indoor environment, sometimes would causing
glare that making the environment unsuitable for normal working. Therefore, we have blinds that
could help us to resolve the problem. During gloomy day, indoor lighting comes in place to
provide luminance for the occupant to do their works such as do sketching, reading or even
cooking. Without lighting, human might be susceptible to getting injury due to slipping down or
get bruised and cuts during cooking. Therefore, not only it does cause the ridiculous injury, but
also brings about the downturn of the occupant’s productivity.

Artificial light has made much of human developent possible. Since the discovery of fire, light
plays a central and crucial role in our lives, extending our hours of life

Excess of direct sunlight and artificial light can produce a glare that distract visual comfort of
human being. A low level of lighting can lead to ocular discomfort and improper lighting design
brings to worker dissatisfaction. Glare-free and thermally comfortable spaces have a high effect
on occupant productivity.

Daylight glare has the measurement metric known as Daylight Glare Index (DGI). Office areas
are recommended to have 22 DGI for food visual combination/ fusion of daylight and artificial
lighting. Lighting control mechanisms can eb used to control it.

Work performance

Is defined as the extent to which an employee meets the requirements of their job role.

In this world of modernization, the nature of modern working means that for many workers
access to natural lighting is not always possible. 24/ 7 working, shift-work, office work and
different geographical latitudes imply that most employees have the demand to work in an
artificial lighted environments. Lighting in the workplace may modify cognitive performance
and problem solving ability by interfering with physiological factors like circadian rhythms
(Juslen & Tenner, 2005). Lighting can also impact on mood and interpersonal relationships at
work and hence job satisfaction (Boyce, 2003)

Poor lighting can result in eye strain, fatigue and aching which in turn is likely to lead to
deterioration in performance.

For example, whilst employees vividly prefer indirect to direct lighting (Veitch, 2001), there is
little evidence of direct impact on health, well-being or cognitive performance of office workers
(Fostervold & Nersveen, 2008). Hedge et al. (1995) found that office workers preferred ceiling
suspended, lensed-indirect up-lighting to a parabolic down lighting system and experienced
fewer problems of screen glare and weary eyes. Juslen (2007) discovered that when horizontal
luminance was alternated per work shift (between 800 and 1200 lux) the speed of workers in a
factory assembling electronic devices increased significantly in the 1200 lux condition.

Lighting and workplace safety has an obvious link between both of them. Insufficient lighting
leads to increased error rates and small but significant injuries. A recent report published by the
UK Health and Safety Executive identified a number of lighting hazards that may lead to health
and safety risks at work. These included insufficient light on the task, uneven lighting, overlit
artificial lighting, high reflectance of surfaces, strong shadows, reduced contrast of task due to
veiling reflections and flicker. Emergency lighting, standby and escape lighting help to ensure
employee safety in emergency conditions and therefore contribute to safer work environments.
Systematic emphasis on employee well-being and workplace safety requires awareness of the
risks, implementation and revision of standards on an on-going basis for their improvement.

Adversarial consequences of poor lighting conditions for video display terminal (VDT)
and computer users. Hunting et al. (1981) found that eye impairments and objective symptoms
of eye irritation are more frequent in VDT operators and that these are associated with high
luminance contrasts between screen, source document and the surrounding space and
increased oscillating luminance of screen characters. Dainoff et al. also found a relatively high
level of incidence of eye fatigue symptoms and complaints regarding glare and lighting amongst
office workers whose jobs required the use of video display terminals.
 Investigating the effect of moving from single occupancy offices to a landscape environment,
Helland (2008) found that Visual Display Unit (VDU) operators reported significantly
worsened condition of lighting and glare and that this was associated with increased visual
discomfort. Kamienska–Zyla (1993) noted that the highest percentage of complaints from
VDT operators in Poland resulted from discomfort associated with eyesight. In a recent
intervention study, Aaras (1998) found that visual discomfort and glare was significantly
reduced by using a new lighting system that increased general illuminance levels, luminance
of room surfaces and luminance distribution.

Juslen et al. (2005) showed that in industrial settings employees will systematically choose
different levels of lighting throughout the day in summer and winter. in general, lower levels of
light were preferred in the summer. Research also showed that when factory workers could
control the level of indoor lighting, their productivity and efficiency would be mounted up to
4.5%. Lastly, Niemela et al. (2002) made a sum up that improved thermal climate and lighting
conditions and reducing thermal climate and lighting conditions and reducing contaminant
concentrations and better lighting conditions for workers in a storage building could enhance
employee productivity.

In a report for the impact of school facilities on a child’s education. The report strongly
advocates the case for ample and adequate lighting that is diffused via the room. Lyon and other
researchers have concluded that improved artificial lighting solutions can improve significantly
the learning experience. For example, albeit daylight is deemed important, Heschong et a, 2002;
Lyons, 2000 and Benya 2001 reviewed that a mix of daylight and artificial lighting can offer a
healthy and cost efficient solution to lighting in schools. Students would feel lethargic under dim
light, which means that their concentration on study is better under bright light. Dimmer
lighting might bring about the feeling of “nervous and fidgety” to the students.
CONCLUSION

Employers should be responsible for their workers and employees’ health and safety matters.
Employers have to identify priorities and set targets for improvement. For instance, they will
need to assess if the indoor lighting design is appropriate and safe for the type of work being
undergone. Organising for health and safety involves the provision of staff with the necessary
training and appropriate equipment to do their job safely. This includes lighting maintenance.
Controlling health and safety risks includes the standards set which is realistic and measurable
and may include lighting maintenance. Monitoring and reviewing of lighting condition is vital in
ensuring proper health and safety performance. Checking of standards, planning, control and
organisation and changing them when necessary to improve health and safety. Lastly would be
the risk assessment. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992
(MHSW), employers must assess possible risks in the workplace.

It is important that lighting in the workplace: · · allows people to notice hazards and assess risks;
is suitable for the environment and the type of work (for example, it is not located against
surfaces or materials that may be flammable);
provides sufficient light (illuminance on the task);
allows people to see properly and discriminate between colours, to promote safety;
does not cause glare, flicker or stroboscopic effects;

·
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