The Importance of Quality Lighting
Success in education is a complex equation of many factors. However, a critical part of this equation is often overlooked: Quality Lighting.
Unfortunately, as in many projects, we observe that in educational institutions, lighting is considered an element that enables vision, and the effects of the lighting fixtures used on the visual comfort, physical & psychological health of students and sector employees, and the efficiency of education are ignored by decision-makers.
Quality lighting can significantly impact students' learning process and increase their success. Ideal lighting improves the learning process by enabling students to participate more in class and understand the topics more deeply.
Lighting Factors in Educational Institutions
In lighting design processes, the first and often only issues that come to mind regarding quality lighting are the brightness level and a standard colour temperature.
However, many factors affect students' and education staff's physical and biological health. We can briefly summarize these as follows:
Lighting Levels: The standards specify the minimum illumination levels required to ensure visual comfort and display educational materials clearly enough. However, light levels should vary according to the time of day and activities in a lighting system compatible with the circadian rhythm.
Color Temperature: Regarding colour temperature, cold light colours are generally preferred in educational institutions because they prolong concentration time and provide better focus. However, long-term exposure to cold light can increase anxiety levels and cause various psychological problems. At the same time, exposure to cold light in the afternoon and evening negatively affects sleep patterns. While warm light provides calming and serenity, it causes drowsiness and distraction. Educational institutions aim to prolong concentration time and provide healthy illuminated spaces by imitating the cycle of daylight with tunable white systems, where color temperatures change dynamically. In addition to white light, blue light used at the right time, dose, and wavelength helps to prolong concentration time by increasing efficiency in education.
Color Rendering Index: Colour rendering of lighting fixtures refers to how realistic colours appear under the light. Colour rendering is gaining importance, especially in workshops on painting and textiles. In addition, motivating students and staff to feel themselves in an atmosphere closest to natural light is essential.
Flicker: Flicker is the vibration caused by armatures when converting alternating current into direct current. We can observe the flicker effect as a rapid light flashing in videos taken with a mobile phone. Flicker is known to trigger autism-related disorders and epilepsy crises and cause health problems such as migraines and distraction. For this reason, in the projects we provide lighting consultancy, we ensure that the lighting fixtures are flicker-free and compatible with current IEEE 1453 standards.
Glare Control: Many of us have suffered from the fact that when the lights are turned on at school desks, the board shines, and we cannot see what is written. Glare control is an essential factor affecting students' visual comfort and concentration. We must carefully select and place luminaires to prevent glare and unwanted reflections.
Photobiological Safety: In addition to visible white light, lighting fixtures that have the potential to emit harmful rays, such as ultraviolet and infrared, pose a risk to eye and skin health. According to the TS EN 62471 standard, lighting fixtures in the risk-free group should be preferred to eliminate these risks.
Energy Efficiency: Successful lighting design involves providing visual comfort and a healthy environment in educational institutions while also considering operating costs. Lumen/Watt values, that is, the energy efficiency of lighting fixtures, are among the most essential items in our technical specifications.
Lighting quality should be addressed in educational institutions, and ideal lighting solutions should be adopted with all its factors. Correct lighting is important to increase student success and provide a healthy learning environment. Giving due importance to lighting is critical for a successful educational experience.
Save Time and Budget
With our more than twelve years of lighting design experience and our sectoral knowledge, which we constantly follow closely, we add visual value to your school and educational institution projects while also saving you time and project budget.
Contact us for detailed information about our Lighting Design and Consultancy services.
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