Optimal Illuminance of Seven Major Lighting Colours in LED: Focus on Occupant Comfort and Communication in an Indoor Environment

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the optimal illuminance for each lighting colour of light-emitting diode (LED) light sources among the seven major lighting colours (red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow and white); the focus was on the optimal combination of these colours for enhancement of occupant comfort and communication indoors. The evaluation of optimal illuminance for LED lighting colours found that the occupants felt the cyan LED light source was similar to a white light source, and that the relative brightness of the green lighting colour was higher than that for other colours. The evaluation of the permissible range of illuminance for LED lighting colours found that occupants believed the red lighting colours to be relatively darker; again, the relative brightness of green lighting was considered to be higher. An experiment with subjects for LED lighting colours (consisting of 19 patterns of 7 colours in the living room of a house) found that the optimal illuminance for occupants’ comfort was 32[lx]–119[lx], and for occupants’ communication was 107[lx]–584[lx]. These results satisfied the illuminance criteria of Korean Standards as the optimal illuminance for occupants’ comfort and communication in the living room.

Keywords

LED · Lighting colours Reasonable range of illuminance Permissible range of illuminance Occupants’ comfort and communication Purity of colours

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Deguchi

Sato

. The effect of colour temperature of lighting sources on mental activity level. Ann Physiol Anthropol 1992; 11(1):37–43.

Iwakiri

Watanuki

Yasukouchi

Tochihara

. The effect and after-effect of light-source colour on early component of CNV. J Physiol Anthropol Jap 1997; 2(3):139–145.

Yoon

Horikoshi

Miyamoto

. The effect of different colour temperature of fluorescent lamps on brightness perception. J Arch Plann Environ Eng Arch Inst Jap 1996; 61(489):11–16.

Boyce

. The impact of light in buildings on human health. Indoor Built Environ 2010; 19(1):8–20.

Navvab

A comparison of visual performance under high and low colour temperature fluorescent lamps; IESNA 2000 Annual Conference Proceedings, July 31-August 2, 2000, Washington, DC; The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), paper 69: pp. 359–366.

Berman

Fein

Jewett

Ashford

. Luminance controlled pupil size affects landolt C task performance. J Illuminat Eng Soc 1993; 22(2):150–165.

Hsieh

Munakata

Hirate

. Research on the effect of coloured lights on evaluation and range of discomfort glare. J Illuminat Eng Inst Jap 2005; 89(11):788–793.

Inoue

. Report on chromatic lighting in crime prevention. J Illuminat Eng Inst Jap 2010; 94(9):630–639.

Fujimoto

Inoue

The survey of the street lighting environment by the blue light: The study on the visual environment illuminated by using the chromatic light (Part 2); in Proceedings of conference, September 18–20, 2008, Hiroshima, Japan; Architectural Institute of Japan, D-1, paper 40236, 503–504.

10.

Inoue

Kubo

Fujimoto

The influence of chromatic light on physiological responses, impression and tiredness feeling about young person: The study on the visual environment illuminated by using the chromatic light (Part 1); Proceedings of conference, September 18-20, 2008, Hiroshima, Japan; Architectural Institute of Japan, D-1, paper 40235, 501–502.

11.

Kubo

Inoue

. The influence of lighting by used chromatic light on physiological and psychological responses; in Special Issue: lighting for crime prevention and lighting of blue light. J Illuminat Eng Inst Jap 2008; 92(9):645–649.

12.

Yoshimura

Iwata

Study on the evaluation for difference of colour of illuminated buildings by model experiment; Proceedings of conference, September 7–9, 2006, Yokohama, Japan; Architectural Institute of Japan, D-1, paper 40146, 305–306.

13.

Yoshimura

Iwata

Study on the estimation for difference of colour of street lighting with model experiment: Technical Report of Kinki Branch of Architectural Institute of Japan, 2006, 46, 65–68.

14.

Takahashi

A comparison between fluorescent lamp and LED on the preference of indoor illuminance and colour temperature: Scale model experiments assuming living rooms; Proceedings of the 6th Lux Pacifica, April 23-25, 2009, Bangkok, Thailand, Lux Pacifica, 123–126.

15.

Mochizuki

Kimura

. Effects of difference of spectral power distribution on visual fatigue: comparison between visual fatigue caused by VDT works under LEDs and that under fluorescent lamps. J Environ Eng Arch Inst Jap 2010; 75(647):35–41.

16.

Hwang

Kim

. Effects of indoor lighting on occupants’ visual comfort and eye health in a green building. Indoor Built Environ 2011; 10(1):75–90.

17.

Chung

Burnett

. Lighting quality survey in office premises. Indoor Built Environ 2000; 9(6):335–341.

18.

Hsieh

Munakata

Hirate

. Research on the effect of colour of light on brightness. J Environ Eng Arch Inst Jap 2005; 70(588):15–20.

19.

KS A

3011-2008

Recommended levels of Illumination. Seoul

Korean Standards Association

2008.