Guidelines for Classroom Lighting Applications
What are the harms caused by poor lighting in classrooms? Students are still in their developmental stage, and inferior classroom lighting can cause problems such as flicker and glare.
Some classrooms use traditional fluorescent lights that have high flicker rates, incomplete spectra, insufficient and uneven illumination, and low color rendering index, which can cause visual fatigue, further leading to nearsightedness. The color loss and color distortion caused by these seemingly insignificant problems can also affect children’s color discrimination ability. All of these issues can subtly affect students’ health.
1.What does good lighting in school classrooms look like?
First, the illumination and color rendering should meet the standard. With the improvement of teaching environments and the development of lighting technology, meeting the standard for illumination is the minimum requirement for classroom lighting. Furthermore, indicators for protecting vision and conserving energy and the environment should also be considered.
Good classroom lighting design should meet the following standard requirements:
1)Meet the color rendering index of greater than 80. Canco lighting can provide a color rendering index of 80/90, good glare control (glare value UGR <19), reduce screen reflection, protect vision, and improve visual function and visibility levels.
2)Guide students’ attention to teaching or demonstration areas while ensuring that the color temperature is between 4500K-5500K to create a comfortable lighting environment.
3)Meet the requirements for face-to-face communication among students. The distribution of brightness should be reasonable, with an average illuminance value of 300lx and illumination uniformity not less than 0.7.
4)Lighting control should adapt to different demonstration and teaching contexts and consider the impact of natural light.
5)Classroom lighting should also be safe, reliable, convenient for maintenance and repair, and coordinated with the environment.
Second, high-quality lighting fixtures are also essential. The full eye-protection classroom lighting fixtures use high-efficiency and energy-saving LED light sources, IC constant current and non-flicker control power supply, and anti-glare technology, create a healthy, comfortable, and uniform classroom lighting environment.
Lastly, the blackboard should no longer be called “black.” Blackboard lighting is a key aspect of classroom lighting. However, to save costs, most classrooms do not have lighting fixtures for the blackboard, and even 20% of parents think that the blackboard should remain “black” and do not need separate lighting.
2.How can we create good lighting for the blackboard?
2.1 Vertical illumination: The blackboard is the focal point of students’ attention, and it requires high vertical illumination, which should meet the national standard value of ≥500lux.
2.2 Illuminance Uniformity: As the area where knowledge is displayed, the more uniform the distribution of light on the blackboard, the more comfortable it is for the eyes. The uniformity of illuminance should be ≥0.8.
2.3 Glare: Reflection and direct glare are common issues in blackboard lighting. To eliminate the effects of glare, three conditions must be met: the reflected light from the blackboard illumination should not enter the students’ eyes, the light source of the blackboard illumination should not directly enter the students’ eyes, and the teacher should not feel dizzy from the blackboard lighting.
2.4 Proper Lighting Design: To avoid problems like reflection and direct glare, the installation position and angle of the blackboard light should be professionally designed. Canco lighting fixtures have anti-glare functionality and optimize light output, presenting the purest color.
2.5 Separate Control Switch: To allow the light on the blackboard to vary depending on the teaching environment, it is recommended to have a separate control switch for blackboard lighting.
3. So, how should specialized classroom lighting be designed?
Aside from ordinary classrooms, schools also have specialized classrooms such as laboratories, art rooms, multimedia classrooms, and libraries. When designing lighting for these specialized classrooms, the following suggestions can be considered to achieve the best lighting effects.
3.1 Classroom Lighting:
1)Illuminance Requirements: Generally, the illumination should be above 300LX.
2)Appropriate illumination can make the eyes feel comfortable, relax the eye muscles, and protect vision.
3)Color Temperature Requirements: Generally, it should be between 3500K-5500K.
4)This range is relatively neutral, close to the color temperature of natural light. It can ensure a calm mindset and prevent excessive dullness.
5)Color Rendering Index (CRI) Requirements: The CRI should be greater than 80.
6)High CRI ensures clear lettering, realistic images, and can reproduce the colors of natural light. In the case of an art classroom, the CRI requirements should be even higher.
3.2 Blackboard Lighting:
1)Illuminance Requirements: Generally, the illumination should be above 500LX.
2)It can improve students’ attention and concentration.
3)Color Temperature Requirements: Generally, it should be between 3500K-5500K, which is coordinated with classroom lighting.
4)CRI Requirements: The CRI should be greater than 80.
5)It allows students to clearly identify the content written on the blackboard and protects their vision.
3.3 Laboratory Lighting:
Generally, the basic illumination requirements for a laboratory are 300LX, but if necessary, local lighting should be increased to 500LX to facilitate observation and recording. The color temperature should be between 3500K-5500K, and the CRI should be greater than 85.
3.4 Art Room Lighting:
As a specialized location, high-quality lighting is required. Generally, the illumination should be above 500LX as it needs to identify tiny fonts and lines. The color temperature should be between 3500K-5500K, and the CRI should be greater than 85 to provide realistic colors without any deviation.
3.5 Multimedia Classroom Lighting:
Due to the use of electronic devices such as computers, the lighting requirements are relatively high, with a general illuminance requirement of 500LX and a and the CRI should be greater than 80.
3.6 Library Lighting:
As a common place for students to read and access reference materials, the library requires a good lighting environment to reduce eye fatigue. The lighting level should generally be around 500LX, The CRI should be greater than 80 to facilitate the distinction of illustrations and picture books.
Finally,it is important to involve professionals in the design and installation of classroom lighting.poor classroom lighting can have a significant impact on the health and well-being of students, including eye fatigue and even contributing to myopia. Good classroom lighting should meet certain standards in terms of illumination and color rendering, and should also be designed to create a comfortable and functional environment for learning. Further insight can be gained by referencing a school linear lighting project expertly executed by our firm,Canco Lighting.