LIGHT AND ARCHITECTURAL

LIGHTING SYSTEMS
- Group 1 -
4.1 A CHRONICLE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING
Historical Perspective

Great significance has been placed on light throughout history. The foot-candle, a common
measure of illuminance, is the oldest physical unit still in common usage. Even in the Old Testament
of the Bible, the Book of Genesis (1:3) begins with, ―And God said, ‗Let there be light,‘ and there
was light.For centuries, wood, candle wax, whale oil, coal oil, coal gas, and kerosene were used to
illuminate building interiors.
On December 21, 1879, Thomas Alva Edison announced the successful development of an
incandescent lamp with a baked carbonized cotton thread filament. Edison, however, was the first
to develop a commercially feasible electric light, a low-cost lamp that could remain lit for a long
period of time. When speaking about his success, Edison said, ―Electricity will make
lighting so cheap that only the rich will be able to afford candles.‖
In 1882, the Edison Electric Light Company successfully demonstrated the use of artificial lighting
by powering incandescent streetlights and lamps in approximately 30 buildings in part of London
beginning on January 12 and later by illuminating parts of New York City beginning on September 4.
Serving as a model for future utilities, the company later supplied power to Manhattan.
Professional Organizations

Some of the organizations related to building lighting

and electrical systems include Illuminating Engineering
Society of North America (IESNA), International
Association of Lighting Designers (LALD), National
Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), and the
American Lighting Association (ALA).
Standards and Codes

National Electrical Code (NEC)- is a model code that specifies the minimum
provisions necessary for protecting people and property from the use of electricity
and electrical equipment.

For lighting systems, the standard defines a number of basic requirements,

including minimum number of lighting controls, ballast performance, and limits on
installed lighting power.
4.2 ELEMENTS OF SEEING
The Visual System- The visual system of a human is composed of the
eye, optic nerve, and certain parts of the brain.
THE EYE
Cornea- rays of light pass through the transparent cornea of the eye
and through an opening called the pupil.
Iris - surrounds the pupil and adjusts for the amount of light
available
- It opens and closes to control the quantity of light the
interior of the eye receives

Lens - a transparent ellipsoidal medium that changes thickness,

allowing it to bend and focus the rays of light entering the
interior of the eye

Retina - is composed of nerve cells with photoreceptors that are

shaped like rods and cones.

- Photoreceptors- that are shaped like cones provide color

vision and respond best to bright light.

- The rod-shaped photoreceptors sense extremely low levels

of light and provide efficient vision in dim light

 THE EYE
Three different types of cone-shaped photoreceptors in the retina.
Red
Green
Blue

In individuals with normal vision, the electrical impulses from each cone blend
together to create the sensation of other colors. However, about 5% of the
population, mostly males, has defective color vision.

Color blindness - is the inability to distinguish colors

The most common form of color blindness is found in those individuals who
have difficulty distinguishing red from green. They tend to see reds and
greens as yellow.
Individuals who are totally color-blind see only black, white, and shades of gray.

4.3 LIGHT

Electromagnetic
Radiation
Light is that form of electromagnetic radiation that allows the eye to see.
Electromagnetic radiation is energy radiated in the form of a wave caused by an electric
field interacting with a magnetic field.
Electromagnetic radiation is categorized by wavelength and frequency.
Wavelength (l) is measured as the distance from one peak of one wave to the next wave.
It is expressed in meters or nanometers (1 nm = 0.000 000 001 meter or one billionth of
a meter).
Frequency is the number of wave cycles per second. It is expressed in units of hertz
(Hz). TV and radio waves are several meters long with frequencies ranging from 10
kilohertz to 300 000 megahertz. In contrast, visible light waves are only about 0.000
000 5 m in length.
Wavelength and frequency of electromagnetic radiation are dependent on the source
emitting the radiation. Gamma radiation, the shortest and most powerful form of
electromagnetic radiation, result from changes within the nucleus of the atom.
The sun and electric lamps are light sources because they transform energy to the
visible electromagnetic wavelengths that can be perceived by the human eye. Sunlight
striking the earth‘s outer atmosphere is made up of ultraviolet (about 5%), visible light
(about 45%), and infrared (about 50%) radiation
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF RADIATION
Radio Waves - radio waves are transmitted by radio broadcasts, TV broadcasts, and
even cell phones. Radio waves have the lowest energy levels. Radio waves are used in
remote sensing, where hydrogen gas in space releases radio energy with a low frequency
and is collected as radio waves

Microwaves - can be used to broadcast information through space, as well as warm

food. They are also used in remote sensing in which microwaves are released and
bounced back to collect information on their reflections
Microwaves can be measured in centimeters. They are good for transmitting information
because the energy can go through substances such as clouds and light rain. Short
microwaves are sometimes used in Doppler radars to predict weather forecasts

Infrared radiation - can be released as heat or thermal energy. It can also be bounced
back, which is called near infrared because of its similarities with visible light energy.
Infrared Radiation is most commonly used in remote sensing as infrared sensors collect
thermal energy, providing us with weather conditions
Visible Light
The visible light spectrum is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that the
human eye can see. Simply put, this spectrum of wavelengths is referred to as visible
light. Typically, the human eye can perceive wavelengths ranging from 380 to 700
nanometers.

Behavior of Light
Light illuminates a surface when it strikes it. Illuminance is the amount of light.incident
on (hitting) a surface. The quantity of light emitted by an object is defined as its
luminance. It is how a bright object appears.
Light waves behave similarly across the electromagnetic spectrum. Depending on the
composition of the object and the wavelength of the light, light waves are transmitted,
reflected, absorbed, refracted, polarized, diffracted, or dispersed.
 Reflectance (r) is the ratio of reflected light versus the light striking the surface
(illuminance).
For example, the reflectance of a dull black surface may be about 0.10
(10% is reflected) while reflectance of a polished, white surface may be 0.85 (85% is
reflected).

Specular reflection occurs when light is reflected off a polished or mirror-like

surface— that is, the reflected image is maintained.
Diffuse reflection results when reflected light is scattered after striking the
surface.

Transmittance (t) is the ratio of light transmitted through the body versus the
light illuminating the surface. When light strikes ordinary window glass at an
angle perpendicular to the surfaces, the transmittance is about 0.90— that is
90% of the light striking the glass is transmitted.

Transparent body transmits light through it without distorting the image.

A translucent body transmits light but obscures the image because the light is
scattered. Ordinary window glass is an example of a transparent medium while
frosted glass is translucent
Absorptance (a) is the ratio of the light absorbed versus the light striking the
surface.
When a translucent or transparent body is illuminated, the
illuminance striking the surface will be reflected, absorbed, and
transmitted.
Therefore: Reflectance (ρ) _ Absorbtance (α) _ Transmittance (τ) _ 1.0
When light strikes an opaque surface, the illuminance will be reflected
and absorbed but not transmitted.
Therefore: Reflectance (ρ) _ Absorbtance (α) _ 1.0
Diffuse light is light that is widely spread or scattered.
Direct light is a strong, directional type of light.
Thank
you