LIGHTING QUALITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY, A CRITICAL REVIEW

The review is structured around four questions: Question 1: Do we have the right focus in product development? From a society point of view sustainability and in its context energy friendly, long life product and application design will remain important. The lighting industry has to focus more on total waste free products as defined in cradle to cradle design. Futuristic daylight products like transparent OLED windows, transparent solar windows and translucent concrete, can increase the daylight use in interiors. Question 2: Do we use the right basic information? Good glare restriction in solid state lighting requires innovative optical design. Here a totally new glare evaluation system is needed as the present systems were developed for circumstances totally different from solid state lighting. In fixed road lighting, especially for motorway lighting, we base our concepts on visibility of objects but that concept is losing importance because of developments in car systems. Neurological research is needed to find out if fixed road lighting can contribute to minimize micro sleeps in night drivers. For lighting in built-up areas, instead of the luminance concept of road lighting a more three-dimensional concept is needed Question 3: Do we provide the users with the right information? The changeover to solid state lighting may be slowed down because it is precisely for solid state lighting that wrong data are often supplied, thus disappointing new users in their expectations. Statements that for domestic home lighting the changeover from incandescent lamps into LED-lamps poses a health risk are shown to be incorrect. Question 4: Are we addressing the right public? Most recommendations and standards on lighting quality are based on people of around 30 years old. With age eyesight deteriorates. It is therefore essential that in lighting recommendations and standards special sections are incorporated on the special needs of the elderly. It is shown that the effectiveness of LED-lamps is negatively affected by the blue light loss of the aging eye. 1,6 Billion people in developing countries have no access to electricity. It is good to see that where so far only non-profit organizations were offering low-cost solar home lighting units, larger lighting manufacturers are now developing off-grid concepts for remote rural areas.