Natural Light

Is free of charge

It has certain vital physiological benefits for

our health.
Drawbacks of too much of dependence on
artificial lighting and ignoring sunlight to shape
the buildings

 High operative costs.

 Reduced user productivity.

 Overheating of buildings on sunny side and

under heating in winters.

 Excessive glare.

 Environmental degradation.
Daylight
Benefits of day lighting:

 Economical illumination.
 Comfortable to use.
 Provides delightful interiors.
 People are always oriented to the outside
scene – to the time and weather.
 Makes a statement – that you care about the
environment.
Nature of light
The scientific study of the behavior of light
is called OPTICS.

Light is electromagnetic radiation,

particularly radiation of a wavelength that
is visible to the human eye (about 400-
700nm) (nm: nanometre- it is the most
common unit to describe the wavelength of
light).
Theories of light
RAY: A ray is a beam of light that travels in
a straight line until they hit an object.

WAVES: A wave is the transfer of energy

by vibrations, from one particle to another.
Scientists argued that if light travels as
waves, then light should be able to bend.
They later realized that light CAN bend
around the corners and this is called
DIFFRACTION.
Characteristics of Waves
Amplitude: the distance between the
peak of a wave to the midpoint.

Frequency: the number of complete

waves per second at a certain
location.

Wavelength(Lambda): the distance

between the two peaks.

Speed: (frequency*wavelength)- the

rate at which it travels
299,792,458 m/s.
Frequencies
Light waves also come in many frequencies. The
frequency is the number of waves that pass a point in
space during any time interval, usually 1 second. It is
measured in units of cycles per second or Hertz (Hz).

The amount of energy in a light wave is proportionally

related to its frequency.
High frequency light has high energy
low frequency light has low energy.

Thus gamma rays have the most energy &

radio-waves have the least.
Of the visible light, violet has the most energy
& red the least.
Speed of Light

The speed of light in a vaccum is presently

defined to be exactly 299,792,458m/s. Light
always travels at a constant speed, even
between particles of a substance. Through
which it is shining.
ILLUMINATION

Similar to sound, light is another form of

“Energy”.

The measurement of light is called photometry,

and the basic instrument used is known as
photometer.
Photometry
Photometry deals with the measurement of
visible light as perceived by human eyes.
The human eye can only see light in the
visible spectrum and has different
sensitivities to light of different
wavelengths within the spectrum. The eye
is most sensitive to greenish yellow light at
555nm (nanometre: it is the most common
unit to describe the wavelength of light).
Luminous Intensity

Luminous intensity is the perceived power

per unit solid angle. It is a measure of the
wavelength weighted power emitted by a
light source in a particular direction. The SI
unit is candela (cd).
Luminous Flux(F)
Luminous flux is the measure of the
perceived power of light. The SI unit is
lumen (lm).
Luminance
Luminance is a photometric measure of
the density of luminous intensity in a
given direction. It describes the amount
of light that passes through or is
emitted from a particular area and falls
within a given solid angle. The SI unit is
candela per square metre (cd/m-2).
 S Quantity Symbol SI Unit Abbreviatio
No. n

1. Luminous Energy Qv Lumen second lm-s

2. Luminous Flux F Lumens(cd-sr) Lm

3. Luminous Iv Candela(lm/sr) Cd
Intensity

4. Luminance Lv Candela per cd/sq.m

square meter

5. Illuminance Ev Lux (lm per sq.m) Lx

LUX VERSUS LEMUN
1 Lux is defined as 1 lumen per square metre.
There are 10.76 square feet in 1 square metre. So to convert, use this
 
Lumen per square ft = lux/10.76
 
The lux (lx) is the SI unit of illuminance. It is used in photometry as a
measure of the apparent intensity of light hitting or passing through a
surface.
 
1 lux = 1 lm/sq metre = 1cd-sr/sq metre.
 
The difference between the lux and the lumen is that the lux takes into
account the area over which the luminous flux is spread. A flux of 1000
lumens concentrated into an area of 1 sq metre, lights up that sq metre
with an illuminance of 1000 lux. However, the same 1000 lumens,
spread out over 10 sq metres produce a dimmer illuminance of only
100 lux.
Foot candle
A foot-candle is a non SI unit of illuminance or light
intensity widely used in photography, film, television and
the lighting industry.
 
The unit is defined as the amount of illumination the
inside surface of a 1 foot radius would be receiving if
there were a uniform point source of one candela in the
exact centre of the sphere. Alternatively, it can be defined
as the illuminance on a 1 square foot surface of which
there is a uniformly distributed flux of one lumen. This
can be thought of as the amount of light that actually falls
on a given surface.
 
The foot candle is equal to one lumen per square foot.
LUX VERSUS
FOOTCANDLE
The foot candle or lumen per square foot is
a non SI unit of illuminance. Like the BTU,
it is mainly only in common use in United
States, particularly in construction-related
engineering and in building codes.
Because lux and footcandles are different
units of the same quantity, it is perfectly
valid to convert foot candles to lux and
vice versa.
The name “foot candle” conveys “the
illuminance cast on a surface by a one
candela source one foot away”.
1 foot candle = 10.76 lux(approx.)
Optics

The study of light & the interaction of light &

matter is termed optics. Optics usually
describes the behaviour of visible ultra-violet &
infra-red light. Because light is an electro-
magnetic wave. Other form of electro-magnetic
radiation such as X-rays & Micro-waves exhibit
similar properties.
When light hits an object…
When light wave hits an object, what
happens to it depends on:

Energy of the light wave

The natural frequency at which electrons
vibrate in the material
Strength with which the atoms in the
material hold on to their electrons.
Based on these 3 factors, 4 different things
happen when light hits an object:

•The waves can be reflected or scattered off

the object.
•The waves can be absorbed by the object.
•The waves can be refracted through the
object.
•The waves can pass through the object with
no effect.
 
And more than one of these possibilities can
happen at once.
Reflection of Light
Reflected waves are simply those waves that are
neither transmitted nor absorbed, but are
reflected from the surface of the medium they
encounter.

If the surface of the medium contacted by the

incident wave is smooth and polished, each
reflected wave will be reflected back at the same
angle as the incident wave.

This conforms to the law of reflection which

states: The angle of incidence is equal to the
angle of reflection.
 
Reflection of Light
Refraction of Light

When a light wave passes from one

medium into a medium having a
different velocity of propagation, a
change in the direction of the wave will
occur. This change of direction as the
wave enters the second medium is
called refraction.
Refraction of Light
Diffusion of Light
When light is reflected from a mirror, the
angle of reflection equals the angle of
incidence. When light is reflected from a
piece of plain white paper; however, the
reflected beam is scattered, or diffused,
as shown below. Because the surface of
the paper is not smooth, the reflected
light is broken up into many light beams
that are reflected in all directions.
Diffusion of Light
Absorption of Light
Light beam is reflected and diffused when
it falls onto a piece of white paper. If the
light beam falls onto a piece of black paper,
the black paper absorbs most of the light
rays and very little light is reflected from
the paper.
 
If the surface upon which the light beam
falls is perfectly black, there is no
reflection; that is, the light is totally
absorbed. No matter what kind of surface
light falls upon, some of the light is
absorbed.
Brightness

Brightness is an attribute of visual

perception in which a source appears
to be radiating or reflecting light.
Glare
Glare can be categorized into different types. One such
classification is described in a book by Bob Mizon,
coordinator for the British Astronomical Association’s
Campaign for Dark Skies:

- Blinding glare describes effects such as that

caused by staring at the sun. it is completely blinding and
leaves temporary and permanent vision deficiencies.
- Disability glare describes effects such as being
blinded by oncoming car lights, or light scattering in fog or
in the eye, reducing contrast, as well as reflections from
print and other dark areas that render them bright, with
significant reduction in sight capabilities.
- Discomfort glare does not typically cause a
dangerous situation in itself, though it is annoying and
irritating at best. It can potentially cause fatigue it
experienced over extended periods. 
Specular Reflection
Reflections on still water are an example of
specular reflection.

Specular reflection is the mirror-like reflection of

light from a surface, in which light from a single
incoming direction (a ray) is reflected into a
single outgoing direction. Such behaviour is
described by the law of reflection, which states
that the direction of incoming light (the incident
ray), and the direction of outgoing light reflected
(the reflected ray) make the same angle with
respect to the surface normal, thus the angle of
incidence equals the angle of reflection.
Specular Reflection
Diffuse Reflection
Diffuse reflection is the reflection of
light from an uneven or granular surface
such that as incident ray is seemingly
reflected at a number of angles. It is the
compliment to specular reflection. If a
surface is completely non-specular, the
reflected light will be evenly spread over
the hemisphere surrounding the
surface.
 
Diffuse Reflection
Diffuse Inter-Reflection
Diffuse inter-reflection is a process whereby light
reflected from an object strikes other objects in
the surrounding area, illuminating them. Diffuse
inter-reflection specifically describes light
reflected from objects which are not shiny or
specular. In real life terms what this means is
that light is reflected off from non-shiny surfaces
such as the ground, walls, or fabric, to reach
areas not directly in view of a light source. If the
diffuse surface is coloured, the reflected light is
also coloured, resulting in similar coloration of
surrounding objects.
Inverse Square Law of
Illumination

States that, when the light source is a

point, illumination on a surface is
inversely proportional to the square
of the distance of the light source.
Colour Rendering
Colour rendering relates to the way
objects appear under a given light
source. The measure is called the
"colour rendering index", or CRI. A low
CRI indicates than objects may appear
unnatural under the source, while a light
with a high CRI rating will allow an
object's colours to appear more natural.
DAY LIGHTING
 Day lighting is the practice of placing
windows and reflective surfaces so that
during day natural light provides
effective internal lighting.
 It is the controlled admission of natural
light into a space through windows to
reduce or eliminate electric lighting.
 Day lighting reduces one-third of total
building energy costs.
DAY LIGHTING
CONCEPTS
 Day lighting design process involves
the integration of many disciplines
including architectural, mechanical,
electrical and lighting.
 Good day lighting requires attention to
both qualitative and quantitative
aspects of design.
 To be effective, day lighting must be
integrated with electric lighting design.
 As part of a day lighting, consider the
use of continuously dimming fixtures
controlled by luminous sensors.
BENEFITS OF DAY
LIGHTING
 Improve life-cycle cost.

 Increase user productivity.

 Reduce emissions.

 Reduce operating costs.

Day Light Factor
Rate of illumination(Ei) in the interior of a building
to outdoor of a building(Eo) is constant.

Therefore DF = Ei/Eo * 100%.

For India places like Gurgaon the OUTDOOR

ILLUMINATION LEVEL is 10000Lux. We usually
provide a daylight factor of 4% in studios.

4 = Ei/10000 * 100
Ei = 400 Lux.
MATERIALS AND
METHODS OF
CONSTRUCTION
Exterior shading and control devices: to reduce heat gain
1.
and diffuse natural light. For e.g. light shelves, horizontal
louvers, vertical louvers etc.
2. Glazing materials: the simplest method to maximize
daylight within a space is to increase the glazing area.
3. Aperture location: a thumb rule is that the depth of
daylight penetration is about 2 and a half times the
distance between the top of a window and the sill.
4. Reflectance of room surfaces: it is desirable to keep
ceiling reflectance over 80%, walls over 50% and floors
around 20%.
5. Integration with electric lighting controls: with advanced
lighting controls, it is now possible to adjust the level of
electric light when sufficient daylight is available.
6. Other lighting control systems:
 Occupancy controls
 Timers
PLANNING IMPLICATIONS
OF SIDE LIGHTED
BUILDINGS
1. Windows
2. Light Reflectors
3. Light Shelves
4. Sky lights
5. Light Tubes
6. Clerestory Windows
7. Saw tooth roof
8. Solarium
9. Fiber optic concrete wall
10. Hybrid solar lighting
1. WINDOWS
Windows are the most common way to
admit daylight into a space. There are
three ways to improve the amount of light
available from a window:
 Place window close to a light colored wall.
 Slant the sides of window openings so the
inner opening is larger than the outer
opening.
 Use a large colored window sill to project
light into the room.
2. LIGHT REFLECTORS
 Once used
extensively in office
buildings, the
adjustable light
reflector is seldom
in use today. The
reflector had found
favor where the
choices of artificial
light provided poor
illumination
compared to modern
electric lighting.
3. LIGHT SHELVES
 Light shelf is an
architectural
element that allows
daylight to penetrate
deep into a building.
This horizontal light-
reflecting overhang
is placed above eye-
level and has a high-
reflectance upper
surface. This surface
is then used to
reflect daylight onto
the ceiling and
deeper into a space.
Light Shelves
A light shelf is an architectural element
which is designed to scatter natural light
into a room, reducing the need for
artificial lighting.

Light shelves also provide shade near

the windows, reducing glare and keeping
rooms cool when temperatures rise. This
design feature can be integrated into a
building when it is constructed, or added
later to increase energy efficiency.

Along with things like skylights and light

tubes, light shelves are considered
“daylighting” devices, meaning that they
are designed to cut down on the use of
artificial lighting during the day.
4. SKY LIGHT
Skylights are horizontal
windows or domes
placed at the roof of
buildings, often
used for day
lighting.
The optimum number
of skylights varies
according to climate,
latitude and the
characteristics of
the skylight, but is
usually 4-8% of floor
area.
5. LIGHT TUBES
Light tubes or light pipes are
used for transporting or
distributing natural or artificial
light. In their application to day
lighting, they are also often
called sun pipes, sun
scopes, solar light pipes, or
daylight pipes.

These somewhat resemble

recessed light fixtures in the
ceiling. They do not allow as
much heat transfer as
skylights because they have
a less exposed surface area.
6. CLERESTORY
WINDOWS
 Another important
element in creating
day lighting is the
use of clerestory
windows. These are
high, vertically-
placed windows.
 Clerestories can be
used to admit
diffuse daylight
that evenly
illuminates a space
such as a classroom
or office.
7. SAW TOOTH ROOF
Another roof-angled
glass alternative is a
"saw tooth roof"
(found on older
factories).
A roof system having
a number of parallel
roof surfaces of
triangular section with
a profile similar to the
teeth in a saw; usually
the steeper side is
glazed and often faces
north.
8. SOLARIUM
Similar to a SUNROOM, a room built
largely of glass to afford exposure to the
sun. Solariums have glass roofs (and
often curved glass corners), unlike
sunrooms. Solariums are designed for
warmth, whereas sunrooms are
designed for scenic view.
Solarium
9. FIBRE-OPTIC CONRETE
WALL
Another way to make a secure structural
concrete wall translucent is to embed
optical fiber cables in it. Daylight (and
shadow images) can then pass directly
through a thick solid-concrete wall. The
only drawback is an inability to put
insulation on either side of such a fiber-
optic concrete wall. One possibility is to
insulate it with aero gel after concrete wall
construction, for natural daylight with the
highest-possible structural security and no
glass windows.
10. HYBRID SOLAR
LIGHTING
Oak Ridge National Laboratory(ORNL)
has developed a new alternative to
skylights called Hybrid Solar Lighting.
This design uses a roof-mounted light
collector, large-diameter optical fiber,
and modified efficient fluorescent
lighting fixtures that have transparent
rods connected to the optical fiber
cables. Essentially no electricity is
needed for daytime natural interior
lighting.
Hybrid Solar Lighting
Artificial lighting in
Buildings
Two types of electric lamps are
mostly used in electric lighting
though there are a variety of lamps
available.

Incandescent light bulb

Fluorescent lamp
Incandescent light bulb
Incandescent light bulb
 The incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent
light globe is a source of electric light . An electric current passes
through a thin filament, heating it until it produces light. The
enclosing glass bulb prevents the oxygen in air from reaching the
hot filament, which otherwise would be destroyed rapidly by
oxidation. Incandescent bulbs are also sometimes called electric
lamps, a term also applied to the original arc lamps.

 Incandescent bulbs are made in a wide range of sizes and

voltages, from 1.5volts to about 300 volts.

 They require no external regulating equipment and have a low

manufacturing cost, and work well on either alternating current or
direct current.

 As a result the incandescent lamp is widely used in household

and commercial lighting, for portable lighting, such as table
lamps, some car headlamps and electric flash lights, and for
decorative and advertising lighting.
Advantages of Incandescent light bulbs:

•One nice thing about this light bulb is that they provide light
indoors and when it is dark outside without having to light a
candle or an oil lamp.
•They are relatively safe, clean and easy to operate.

Disadvantages of Incandescent light

bulbs:

•Disadvantages include the fact that you will need electricity

and wires that are properly installed and cannot be easily
moved about.
•It is also difficult to repair a broken bulb or one that has
burned out, and they must be disposed off and replaced.
Fluorescent lamps
A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent
tube is a gas-discharge lamp that
uses electricity to excite mercury
vapour. The excited mercury atoms
produce short-wave ultra-violet light
that then causes a phosphor to
fluoresce, producing visible light.
Advantages of Fluorescent
Lamps
•Fluorescent lighting is 66 percent cheaper than
regular lighting while providing the same
brightness.
•Fluorescent lighting lasts longer. On average, a
fluorescent tube has a lifespan six times longer
than a regular incandescent bulb.
•Fluorescent lighting does not give off heat,
which makes them great for area lightning and
for areas where additional heat can cause
equipment to malfunction or bother the users.
Disadvantages of Fluorescent
Lamps
•Theinitial cost of fluorescent lighting can be up to three times
higher than other types of bulbs.
•Some fluorescent lighting may require professional installation
the first time around, as the electrical connections are more
complex.
•Fluorescent lighting can flicker noticeably and produce an
uneven light that may bother some users. Once the flicking
becomes obvious to the eye, there is no choice but to replace
the lamp.
•Fluorescent lighting is less attractive. Unless you invest in
special decorative ways to hide the lamps, they are often visible
and can take a lot from the visual aspect of the room.
Fluorescent lighting only comes in bright white, which means
they cannot be used for mood lighting.
SUPPLEMENTARY
ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING
In adequate climates it is practically impossible
to provide adequate day light in side-lit spaces,
to a depth more than three times the window
head height above working plane. This would
require some permanent Supplementary artificial
lighting system of interiors known as PSALI.
This system supplements the natural light and
not replaces it. Whereas in some of the buildings
which ignore the day light permanent artificial
lighting known as PAL is used. The purpose of
buildings is not only to provide day light but also
to provide some link outside world. Best lighting
is that which makes the even distribution of light
levels in a space when it is not feasible then it
has to be supplemented by artificial lighting.
LIGHTING CONROLS
Lighting controls have traditionally been used to
create moods. Electric lighting controls are
appropriate for a wide variety of spaces, from
restrooms to large open offices, from conference
rooms to classrooms. They can be incorporated with
day lighting to provide flexibility, energy savings and
ecological benefits. Although lighting controls are
still most commonly used in commercial buildings,
they are also increasingly being used in residential
applications.

Electric lighting controls are used in lighting design

projects to achieve a high quality energy efficient
lighting system. When electric lighting controls are
used properly, energy will be saved and the life of
lamps and ballasts can be extended.
TYPES OF LIGHTING
CONTROLS
The most common form of electric lighting control is the
on/off “toggle” switch. Other forms of lighting control
include occupancy sensors, day light sensors, clock
switches, a variety of manual and automatic dimming
devices and centralized controls. Some controls operate on
line-voltage power, while others are low-voltage (DC)
powered. Note that fluorescent fixtures are intended to be
dimmed require special compatible dimming ballasts. Also,
controls can be linked together which can perform multiple
control tasks.
Occupancy sensors (including passive infra-red, ultra-sonic and dual
technology sensors) serve three basic functions:
 To automatically turn lights on when a room becomes occupied.
 To keep the lights on without interruption while the controlled space is
occupied
 To turn the lights off within a preset time period after the space has
been vacated.
BARRIERS TO PROVIDE
ENERGY EFFICIENT
LIGHTING
1. High capital cost.
2. Lack of awareness.
3. Availability of quality products.
ENERGY EFFICIENT
LIGHTING
Energy management and cost
reductions are key tools in strategic
planning. Lighting in a typical
building constitutes about 25% of the
energy bills. There is a considerable
scope of reducing energy
consumption through energy efficient
lighting schemes.
MEASURES FOR ENERGY
EFFICIENT AND ECONOMIC USE
OF LIGHTING
1. Segregation of general and task
lighting.
2. Automatic switching ON and OFF
lighting by using sensors.
3. Maximum use of sunlight.
4. Light surrounding décor.
5. Use of energy efficient lamps.
6. Use of dimmers to reduce the intensity
of artificial light as the sunlight is used.
7. High frequency luminors.
8. High frequency chokes.