Indoor lighting facilities

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's statistical data on building construction started (floor area), the first increase in 4 years was achieved, with a total building constructed floor area of 121,460,000 m2, which is a 5.2% increase from the previous year. However, 5,580,000 m2 was for offices (a 10.1% decrease from the previous year), which marks the second year of decrease in a row. Since the revised Energy Saving Act was first enforced in April 2010, there has been a sudden surge of LED lighting on the market. People are beginning to take a second look at task-ambient lighting as well, for simple and effective ways of conserving energy. Light emitting diode (LED) lighting is now being used in various types of facilities, including exhibition halls, multipurpose halls, conference rooms, and religious buildings. Even in art galleries, which demand high color rendering, LED lighting has started to be used for exhibits. Even facilities that have been using halogen lamps are now converting to LED fixtures with energy conservation as an objective. Now that hospitals, schools, and other facilities are planning construction suited to LED lighting, facilities using LED lights continue to increase. Areas that use fluorescent lighting for late night illumination are also expected to completely switch to LED in the near future. As for theaters and meeting halls, there were especially a lot of self-sustained movements by local governments, with new construction twice that of the previous year, and renovation work increasing by over 60% of that in the previous year. About 20 meeting halls suffered damage in East Japan due to the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11. Many halls that only suffered relatively minor damage are being used as safety shelters. As for new structures, 12 halls and 3 studios were built. As for shops and commercial facilities, LED lighting continues to be actively adopted. There is strong public demand for large shopping malls, shops, restaurants, and hotels to change to LED lighting, especially to avoid light sources producing infrared and ultraviolet rays. Use of light sources such as LEDs and seamless lamps are replacing conventional lighting in the lodging, restaurant, and service fields as well, in order to clearly define each area's aims. In the residential field, use of bulb-type LED lamps is starting to spread, mixed with conventional light sources, by companies specializing in housing complexes for a reduction in energy use. When using LED fixtures, an illumination plan is needed which considers light distribution properties and the brightness offered by vertical illuminance.