A Field Survey of Visual Comfort and Lighting Energy Consumption in Open Plan Offices

Geun Young Yun1, Hyo Joo Kong1, Jeong Tai Kim1*

1

Department of Architectural Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Yongin 446-701, Korea * Corresponding author: Jeong Tai Kim (jtkim@khu.ac.kr)

Abstract Occupants of buildings consciously interact with environmental systems to satisfy their specific needs for comfort. Field investigations have indicated this adaptive behaviour of the occupants is a key factor affecting the energy consumption of buildings and can change the energy use of similar buildings by a factor of 2. This study aims to reveal the factors in determining lighting energy consumption of open plan offices with the emphasis on the roles of occupant adaptive actions. Field investigations of open plan offices in Seoul, Korea were conducted from 20 July to 29 September. Internal and external illuminance and the use of lighting and blinds were monitored at ten minute intervals. Seventy seven office workers filled in the questionnaire survey forms five times a day for 40 days. Results revealed that there were close relationships between prevailing illuminance levels on the work plane and luminous comfort. This study presents the hourly profiles of both lighting use patterns and lighting energy consumption, and investigated the lighting energy consumption of open plan offices in relation to sky conditions, internal illuminance, window brightness, visual comfort and lighting system use patterns.

Keywords: Occupant behaviour; energy consumption; lighting system use; blind use; field investigation; questionnaire survey; sky conditions

1. Introduction Globally, buildings use 30 40 percent of all primary energy [1]. Thus, reducing energy consumption in buildings is an effective way to minimize negative impacts of climate change. Energy use for lighting accounts typically for 15 per cent of the total electric energy consumption in buildings [2], anddomestic lighting demand represents about 20 per cent of the total electricity consumption in the average UK home [3]. Also, daylighting conditions and visual comfort play significant roles in designing energy-efficient buildings [4].

Lighting power density and lighting controls are two Key factors in determining lighting energy consumption.Wouter et al [2] proposed a criterion to determine maximum lighting power, and Doulos [5] investigated energy savings by the use of dimming electronic ballasts. Understanding occupant behaviour of environmental controls is important in reducing energy use in buildings. Existing field studies revealed that occupant factor including occupancy patterns and the use of environmental control systems is a main reason for the discrepancy between predicted and measured energy consumption in buildings [6, 7]. Masoso and Grobler [1] found that 56 per cent of the total energy in office buildings was consumed during nonworking hours simply because occupants left lighting and equipment on at the end of the day. Thus, there is high energy saving potential by changing occupant use of environmental controls. There have been efforts on understanding the domestic lighting use patterns. Stokes et al [3] proposed a simple domestic lighting demand model that is based on measured data from 100 homes in the UK. More recently, Richardson et al [8] developed a domestic lighting use model that includes the level of natural light and the activity of occupants. This study aims to reveal the factors in determining lighting energy consumption of open plan offices with the emphasis on the roles of occupant actions. A field investigation was conducted in order to measure vertical and horizontal illuminances, visual comfort of occupants, and occupants use of lighting and blinds. Field study results are used to demonstrate the effects of a range in occupant perception and behaviour on lighting energy consumption. Lighting energy saving potentials of occupant behavioris then discussed.

2. Field investigation 2.1 Case study offices This study selected the J office building (Figure 1) which is located in Seoul; the Republic of Korea. The building has its long axis running east-west and contains six stories of cellular and open plan offices. The J building is within a busy commercial district area, surrounded by commercial buildings andlow-rise apartment buildings of single-family homes. The second and sixth floors were selected for the field monitoring. The field data obtained from open plan offices were analysed for this study.While the sixth floor of the J building was free from obstructions, there are trees in front of the west-facing zone of the second floor offices. The neighbouring private semi-attached houses at the back of the building blocked the views of east-facing zone of the second floor offices.

Fig 1. Photograph of the monitored J building

2.2 Data acquisition Field investigation was conducted from 20 July to 29 September 2009 with aims to reveal occupant perception and responses to indoor luminous environments and to monitor the use of internal blinds and lighting systems. Table 1 details the monitoring parameters and specification of data loggers employed in this investigation. The questionnaire survey was conducted from 20 July to 28 August 2009 and occupants were asked to fill in the questionnaire form five times a day (2 times in the morning, 2 times in the afternoon and 1 time at night). Sixty occupants participated in the questionnaire survey. There were 22 participants on the second floor and 38 participants on the sixth floor. The questionnaire included the subjective evaluation of the indoor luminous environment and the use of internal blinds. Table 1.Monitoring parameters and specification of data loggers
Measuring parameters Internal illuminance Measuring instrument HOBO U12 Instrument specific Range:1 to 30000 lux Accuracy: 2 mV 2.5% Installation image

External illuminance

LI-210

Linearity: Max deviation of 1% up to 100 klux. Absolute Calibration: 5% Light threshold: Adjustable from 10 to 100 lumens/m Time accuracy: 1 minute per month at 25C

Light on/off status

HOBO U09

3. Results 3.1 Illuminance levels 3.1.1 External illuminance Figure 2 shows external illumiances for horizontal and east and west facing vertical planes during the monitoring period. The monitoring data obtained when solar altitudes were over 4 were analyzed in this study. Mean horizontal illuminancewas greater than those for east and west-facing vertical planes. The mean illuminance was 33073 lux (Standard Deviation, SD = 27076) for the horizontal plane, 17729 (SD = 19280) for the west-facing vertical plane, and 15783 lux (SD = 170478) for the east-facing vertical plane. A horizontal illuminance of 20000 lux was exceeded for at least 56 percent of the monitoring period.

Fig 2. External illuminanceduring the monitoring period Sky conditions were divided into three categories of heavy overcast, partly overcast, and clear sky conditions. The values of sky clearness index (Kt) were used as criteria to determine sky conditions. Sky clearness index is equal or less than 0.2 under heavy overcast sky conditions and is over 0.6 under clear sky conditions. The value is between 0.2 and 0.6 when the sky condition is partly overcast [9]. More than 66.6% percent of the monitoring period was fallen into partly overcast sky while 4.0% percent of the monitoring data were gained under heavy over cast sky conditions. The clear sky conditions represented 29.4% percent of the monitoring period.

3.1.2 Internal illuminance Table 2 compares internal illuminance of horizontal and vertical planes for the second and sixth floor offices. The mean horizontal illuminance values for the sixth floor office were higher 500 lux, which is recommended illuminance level for workplane by CIE [10]. One the other hand, the horizontal illuminances for the second floor office did not meet the

illuminance criterion by CIE. A mean horizontal illuminance for the east-facing zone of the sixth floor office was highest (i.e. 714 lux with a standard deviation of 374 lux) while the horizontal illuminance for the east-face zone of the second floor office was 277 lux (SD = 85), which was the lowest value (F (3,21397) = 2438, P-value < 0.001). A proportion of monitoring time for which a horizontal illuminance was over 500 lux was less than one percent for the second floor office and 90 percent for the sixth floor office. Mean horizontal illuminances were consistently greater than mean illuminances for the vertical plane. For example, a mean illuminance of the west-facing zone of the sixth floor office was 603 lux (SD = 165 lux) for the horizontal plane and was 584 (SD = 478 lux) for the vertical plane (T = 2.353, P-value < 0.001). Tabel 2. Averages internal illuminance of horizontal plane
Second floor office East-facing zone West-facing zone 277 (SD = 85) 300 (SD = 83) 264 (SD = 168) 248 (SD = 161) Sixth floor office East-facing zone West-facing zone 714 (SD = 374) 603 (SD = 165) 569 (SD = 521) 584 (SD = 478)

Horizontal plane Vertical plane

3.2 Preferred illuminance Table 3 summarizes questionnaire survey results on lighting brightness perceived by occupants in relationship to horizontal and vertical illuminances. Preferredilluminance in this study is determined on the subjective evaluation of brightness judged by occupants and refers to the level of illuminanceperceived by occupants as being neitherbrightnor dim. The preferred illuminances on the horizontal plane on the second floor office were significantly lower than an illuminance of 500 lux (T = -136.201, P < 0.001), which is recommended by CIE guidelines for office environments. The preferred illuminance of the east-facing zone of the second floor office was 292 (SD = 60) lux and was 307 lux (SD = 47) for the west-facing zone of the second floor office. The results indicate that the levels of preferred illuminance for each zone were closely related to prevailing mean indoor illuminance for each space. A preferred illuminance of 874 lux (SD = 372 lux) in the east-facing zone of the sixth floor office was the greatest value and the mean horizontal illuminance of the same zone was the highest among the investigated offices. Also the preferred illuminance of the east-facing zone of the second floor office ranked the lowest, so did the mean illuminance of the same zone. The preferred illuminances on the horizontal plane for each zone were in general higher than the measured horizontal illuminances of each zone. The preferred illuminance of 874 lux (SD = 372) in the east-facing zone of the sixth floor office was 160 lux greater than the horizontal mean illuminance of the zone (T = -8.494, P < 0.001). The differences between the mean and preferred illuminances in the second floor offices were less than the deviation in the sixth floor offices and the largest difference in the second floor offices was 15 lux. However, the preferred illuminanceson the vertical plane in the sixth floor office were higher than the

vertical mean illuminances. On the other hand, the preferred illuminances on the second floor office were greater than the mean vertical and horizontal illuminances. Table 3. Preferred illuminance by occupants
Second floor office East-facing zone West-facing zone 292 (SD = 60) 307 (SD = 47) 286 (SD = 169) 314 (SD = 110) Sixth floor office East-facing zone West-facing zone 874 (SD = 372) 610 (SD = 114) 433 (SD = 401) 578 (SD = 290)

Horizontal plane Vertical plane

3.3 Lighting use patterns Figure 3 shows the proportion of frequency that the lighting was on for each hour of a typical working daythe proportion of monitoring data that the lighting was on for each hour of a typical working day. The lighting was not frequently used until 6 am. The greatest proportion of time when the lighting was used at 5 am was 54 per cent in the west-facing zone of the sixth floor office. The proportion of time increased sharply from 6am and reached almost 100 per cent at 8am in all zones on the second and sixth floor offices. Then, the proportion remained the same until the lunchtime.

Fig 3. The proportion of frequency that the lighting was on for each hour of typical working day:(a) east-facing zone of the second floor (b) west-facing zone of the second floor (c) eastfacing zone of the sixth floor (d) west-facing zone of the sixth floor

The frequency of the lighting being onreduced sharply at the start of the lunchtime. The proportion ranged from 28 per cent in the east-facing zone of the second floor office to 65 per cent in the west-facing zone of the sixth floor office during the lunchtime. The proportion of time the lighting being on remained at almost 100 per cent from 1pm to 6pm,and then the proportion reduced gradually and became less than ten per cent at 1pm. Table 4 summarizes the average proportion of hours when the lighting was onfrom 6am to 9pm on a typical working day. The proportion of hours the lighting being used for the analyzed period ranged from 87 per cent in the east-facing zone of the second floor office to 91 per cent in the west-facing zone of the second floor office (Person 2 = 88.68, P < 0.001). This includes a period of the lunchtime, thus the daily proportion during the normal working hours was quite high. Table 4. The average proportion of hours when the lighting was on from 6am to 9pm on a typical working day.
Second floor office East-facing zone West-facing zone 13 9 87 91 Sixth floor office East-facing zone West-facing zone 11 11 90 89

Lighting off Lighting on

3.4 Lighting energy consumption Figure 4 shows the hourly average of lighting energy consumption for a typical working day in the second and sixth floor offices. The hourly lighting energy consumption for each zone was determined by multiplying installed lighting power density by the duration of the lighting system use. At least one of the HOBO U09 was installed on each lighting zone. The HOBO U09 detects and records the use of the lighting at every half second. The data from the logger was used to decide the duration of the lighting system. Hourly lighting energy consumption was closely related to the lighting use patterns. For example, the lighting energy consumption of the east-facing zone of the second floor office reached the peak of 9.73 Whm-2 at 9am when the proportion of time when the lighting was used was 100 per cent. On the other hand, the lighting energy consumption reduced to 2.09 Wh m-2 at 12pm when the proportion of frequency that the lighting was on decreased to 28 per cent.

Fig 4. The hourly average of lighting energy consumption for a typical working day: (a) east-facing zone of the second floor (b) west-facing zone of the second floor (c) eastfacing zone of the sixth floor (d) west-facing zone of the sixth floor Table 5 shows the daily average of the lighting energy consumption for each zone. The daily lighting energy consumption ranged from 116.55 kW m-2 day-1 for the east-facing zone of the second floor office to 153.46 kW m-2 day-1 for the west-facing zone of the sixth floor office(F (3,21397) = 2438, P-value < 0.001). The daily lighting energy consumption was related to the installed lighting power density for each zone. The west-facing zone of the sixth floor office had the greatest lighting power density of 9.8 W m-2 of floor area and the daily lighting energy consumption was the greatest among the investigated offices. Table 5. The daily average of the lighting energy consumption for each zone
Second floor East-facing Mea n Lighting energy consumption Lighting power density 117 9.01 SD 12 West-facing Mea n 129 7.95 SD 11 Mea n 132 9.87 Sixth floor East-facing SD 13 West-facing Mea n 153 9.10 SD 15 3,75 NA <0.001 NA F P

4. Conclusions The results from a field investigation on the use of artificial and natural lighting by occupants and visual comfort in open plan offices have been described in detail. Preferred illuminance, which refers to the level of illuminance perceived by occupants as being neither bright nor dim, was related closely to prevailing indoor illuminances of offices where they worked. This implies that past experiences of lighting environments have significant effects on the perception of occupants on light brightness and preferred lighting conditions. Our study indicates that the lighting use patterns by occupants did not have a statistically significant relationship with illuminance levels. The results showed that the lighting was on during the most of the normal working hours. This implies that automatic lighting controls to turn off the artificial lighting when there is sufficient daylight indoor would have significant energy saving potentials. Our analysis shows that lighting use patterns and installed lighting power density are two crucial determinants of lighting energy consumption. This suggests that the careful design of energy- efficient artificial lightingand local controls that is easy to use is essential in providing carbon efficient buildings.

Acknowledgements This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (No. 2010-0001860).

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