Simulation and analysis of the effects of room surface reflectance combinations on a proposed retrofit illumination system of an office
Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology
ISSN: 1726-0531
Article publication date: 7 January 2021
Issue publication date: 15 November 2021
Abstract
Purpose
An indoor office space should not only provide adequate illuminance on horizontal planes but also cater to the physiological and psychological requirements of the occupants. This paper aims to describe a lighting simulation-based work conducted in Kolkata, India which modeled an indoor office to investigate the effects of variation in room surface reflectance combinations on user perception, mean room surface exitance (MRSE), average horizontal illuminance and overall uniformity of horizontal illuminance.
Design/methodology/approach
A fluorescent illumination system–based office space was modeled and retrofitted with tubular LED lamps in DIALux. Simulations were conducted for 16 different room surface reflectance combinations and a five-point Likert scale-type survey questionnaire was formulated to conduct a survey with 32 test subjects to assess the subjective preferability of each resultant light scene.
Findings
Simulation results demonstrate that the relationship between average horizontal illuminance and MRSE as well as between average horizontal illuminance and overall uniformity of horizontal illuminance, was statistically significant (p < 0.001). In the conducted survey, the resultant light scene arising out of the reflectance combination of wall:ceiling:floor = 60%:90%:20% was the most well-received one with 187 convinced agreements (“agree” and “strongly agree” responses).
Originality/value
This work found strong linear correlation between average horizontal illuminance and MRSE and between average horizontal illuminance and overall uniformity. A five-point Likert scale-type survey questionnaire with seven questions was formulated and validated with 32 test subjects (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.9295), which showed that the wall:ceiling:floor reflectance combination of 60%:90%:20% was the most favored choice.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This article is considerably influenced by the research works conducted by Dr Christopher Cuttle, PhD, FCIBSE, FIESANZ, FIESNA, FSLL, Lighting Consultant, Wellington, New Zealand and Dr James Duff, PhD, Arup Group Ltd., Dublin, Ireland in developing the Lighting Design Objectives (LiDOs) procedure and establishing Mean Room Surface Exitance (MRSE) as a neoteric indoor lighting design metric. The authors would like to express warm gratitude towards them. The authors did not receive any grants or funding in any manner to conduct this work.
Citation
Roy, S., Majumder, S., Bhattacharya, S. and Sardar, I.H. (2021), "Simulation and analysis of the effects of room surface reflectance combinations on a proposed retrofit illumination system of an office", Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, Vol. 19 No. 6, pp. 1620-1647. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEDT-10-2020-0400
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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