Lighting Uniformity: Importance and Calculation

Views: 0     Author: Jessica     Publish Time: 2022-08-18      Origin: https://www.suntechleds.com/

Overview:

What is lighting uniformity?

     Light Uniformity Definition

     Lighting uniformity ratio

Why is lighting uniformity important?

How to calculate light uniformity?

      Measure light uniformity

      Lighting uniformity calculation formula

Light uniformity standard

Conclusion




What is lighting uniformity

What is the uniformity of light? In simple terms, uniformity of light is the uniformity of brightness in a space or environment that is illuminated by the luminaire again. It is very important to maintain uniformity of light for lighting brightness to ensure that everything in the room is fully illuminated. When referring to the uniformity of light in an area, consider the objects in it and the surrounding task area. The importance of maintaining adequate brightness cannot be overemphasized. However, the calculation and measurement of light uniformity within a space is often omitted. When the lighting uniformity ratio for outdoor lighting and uniformity ratio for indoor lighting  are too low, it can lead to visual discomfort for athletes, workers or citizens because improper lighting brightness can be harmful or uncomfortable for their eyes.


What is lighting uniformity


Light Uniformity Definition

The definition of illuminance uniformity clearly states that the illuminance of an area is produced by lighting. When talking about the uniformity of light, the ratio of minimum illumination is usually mentioned. Whether using direct lighting or indirect lighting, the lighting needs to be uniform enough throughout the illuminated space.


Lighting uniformity ratio

The coefficient of uniformity of light is said to be the intensity of light illumination in a specific d amount of area. According to EN 12464-1, office lighting should have an average brightness of at least 500 lux so that people can read, type, write and do data processing smoothly. This factor applies regardless of the condition or size of the structure in question. Our perception of the world around us is influenced by lighting. Therefore, uniformity of illumination is important for navigation, etc. If there is a break due to a drop in illumination, it will prevent us from perceiving space well. The type of illumination affects uniformity as well as its location. Most focus-intensive tasks require a uniformity index of about 0.6, while technical mapping and other demanding tasks require a ratio of at least 0.7.


Why is lighting uniformity important?

Lighting uniformity directly affects our perception of the environment and our ability to navigate through the prevailing environment. Uniformity of illumination allows us to perceive our environment adequately without sudden interruptions due to decreasing illumination levels.


The illumination level of a room surface and its uniformity can be expressed as a ratio of the highest to lowest illumination areas in a given room or space. The closer the displayed factor is to 1, the more uniform the illuminance ratio of the space. Uniformity requires that the luminaire has a very wide illumination curve, close to diffuse and constant light scattering in all directions. Excessive uniformity is therefore somewhat redundant for the space, as the lighting itself lacks any contrast or vibrancy.

In addition to this, uniformity depends on the type of lighting fixture used at the time, the location and the number of spaces. Again, the EN 12464-1 standard requires a certain level of lighting uniformity for certain tasks. As in the case of glare and task area lighting, technical mapping is the most demanding, requiring a uniformity index of at least 0.7. Other focus-intensive tasks require a ratio of 0.6.


Lighting uniformity is also an important factor in outdoor illumination applications. Especially in road co-giving situations, lighting must avoid low uniformity ratios: frequent changes in the contrast between high and low light sections can cause severe eye discomfort, leading to stress and fatigue, thus endangering road safety. The human eye needs time to adapt to new lighting conditions, and frequent lighting brightness changes significantly or too often can cause certain objects to be invisible. In the case of people, this ignorance can have tragic consequences.


Uniformity of lighting brightness can again be achieved using sensors or other control mechanisms. A high quality dynamic lightingsystem will be able to provide the desired uniformity in changing environments, such as during the day when sunlight can be the dominant light source. Artificial light then serves to keep uniformity at the desired constant by illuminating those spaces away from windows and other sources of sunlight, such as skylights.


An environment with balanced lighting ratios also provides eye comfort for those using PC screens, since these outdoor advertising screens are light sources in their own right. Lighting should take this fact into account and provide such a lighting factor that does not suddenly produce particularly pronounced illumination differentiation between the screen and the rest of the room. Consistency according to the standard does not distinguish between the task area, its surroundings and the background. In order to meet the criteria of the standard, all illuminated areas of the room must be considered.


As with the previous criteria, for LQS, a perfect 5 is awarded if the solution meets the criteria of the standard, otherwise a zero is awarded.


poor lighting uniformity

poor lighting uniformity

better lighting uniformity

better lighting uniformity



Lighting uniformity indoor applications

For indoor applications, uniformity helps improve end-user productivity and the overall experience. In environments such as offices, it is uniform lighting without any gaps or shadows that is beneficial in promoting eye comfort and reducing fatigue. Retail spaces also need to focus on uniformity factor in lighting design kind of uniformity of light, as it allows customers to experience the full range of products in the store while promoting a high level of vitality and encouraging more sales.


Light uniformity in indoor applications


Lighting uniformity outdoor applications

Light uniformity is not just for offices, retail, roads or parks; many behind-the-scenes industries also rely on it to make their businesses more efficient. Take the emerging horticulture industry, for example: uniform light distribution across the plant canopy is a fundamental requirement for photosynthesis, allowing crops to grow faster and healthier. In a completely different vertical direction, turkey feeders find that even lighting ensures that birds remain active and calm. In both cases, advances in LED lighting are helping to change the way these industries operate.


Lighting uniformity outdoor applications


How to calculate light uniformity?

To ensure that proper light brightness uniformity can be provided, it is also critical to calculate the light uniformity in space. The following may help you on how to properly calculate light uniformity.


Measure light uniformity

An illuminance meter is usually used as a tool to measure the brightness illumination level. After the measurement, we get the numbers needed for the area being measured. You may be wondering what you should do with uniformity data. Now, you are unlikely to use a single device to measure a parameter, because lighting uniformity is the ratio between the average and minimum lux or the maximum and minimum lux. If you don't know what lux is, it is the unit of illumination that indicates the exact amount of brightness reaching the ground.


Lighting uniformity calculation formula

If you want to measure light uniformity, the following formula will be a good lighting calculater to help you.


U1 = E (minimum) / E (average) U2 = E (minimum) / E (maximum)


U stands for uniformity and E stands for illuminance. From the formula above, you can see that the uniformity of light is basically a ratio of illuminance or lux level. This uniformity ratio is very useful and important because it allows you to determine how evenly the light is distributed to the ground. If the difference between the average illuminance and the minimum illuminance is not significant, then this ratio will be high. It indicates a better uniformity of light. According to the national code of practice, the minimum illumination level needs to correspond to the recommended illumination level. According to the UK CIBSE and German DIN guidelines, the general normal lighting scheme sets the uniformity level at 0.6 and 0.8.


Light uniformity standard

Depending on the nature of the environment, different light LED uniformity standards need to be followed. For example, if we take a soccer field as an example, the following criteria must be followed. Please refer to Soccer Stadium Lighting Design.


Nature of Sports Field
Illuminance
U2 Light Uniformity Required
Class III for National Competition
700-1000 Lux ≧ 0.7
Class II for Leagues
400-700 Lux ≧ 0.6
Class I for Traning Ball Field 200-400 Lux ≧ 0.5


As you must have noticed from the above examination, the standard lux level of lighting uniformity increases with the level of competition at the venue. On the other hand, if the venue is designed for recreational and training purposes, the lighting and lighting uniformity requirements will be lower. In the case of televised and national competitions, lighting requirements are often stringent.Commercial & industrial lighting uniformity are as follows:


Area
Lighting Uniformity Standard
Airport
0.2 to 0.3
Running Track
0.3 to 0.5
Warehouse 0.4 to 0.6
Parking Lot 0.4 to 0.5
Office 0.4 to 0.6
Seaport 0.3 to 0.4
High Way 0.3 to 0.6


Conclusion

I trust that after reading this article, you have an understanding of all the information related to light uniformity. While achieving a high degree of uniformity in a task area is critical, there are also professional studies that show that too much uniformity can reduce alertness and make people more prone to fatigue. This is why there is a need to create some contrast on the walls. If you're looking at LED lighting fixture suppliers, Suntech is your best choice. If you are looking for lighting solutions, please view our lighting project page. If you are looking for LED lighting, please click here to find your ideal products or contact us directly!

Do you have an ongoing project? Our lighting experts are ready to help you design the right layout to ensure that the lighting in your space is uniform  just contact us!



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