Occupant-Centred Controls for Human-Centric lighting? – and notes for sun-seekers

I’ve been reading a lot about ‘Smart Buildings’ recently.

Lots of information out there including this event on Thursday – IES Webinar Series – Toward to “Lighting 4.0” Era, the SSL2 (Sustainable Smart Lighting x Solid State Light sources) Concept

It’s easy to see why –

• Building Management Systems can cut energy use from lighting by up to 73%.
• Fuzzy logic can even drive dynamic facades responding to glare in real time – Targeting modular adaptive façade personalization in a shared office space using fuzzy logic and genetic optimization. But most building management systems are installed and left to run until they fail, generating a stream of data that never sees the light of day 

• Over one-third of building managers involved in ‘continuous commissioning’ were dissatisfied with the process –  User perceptions of building management systems in the continuous commissioning process

Occupant-Centred Control may hold the key – and the extra cost could end up being great value if you factor in the benefits in terms of employee satisfaction and energy cost reduction. 

As many of us get ready for a break…

Here are some notes about the good, the bad and the ugly side of sunshine…

The good

• Extended spectrum – UV rays reduce inflammation and boosts healing and Vitamin D synthesis
• Brightness – Triggers body clock, mood and attention circuits
• It’s always there – You get that boost even when it’s cloudy – Impact of occupant autonomy on satisfaction and building energy efficiency
• Free – what’s not to like!

The bad

• Extended spectrum – Too much UV linked to cancer, especially for fair skin
• Brightness – Can trigger headaches, eye strain and mood swings 
• It’s always there- don’t be fooled – you can still harm skin and eyes on an overcast day
• Expensive – Cost of sunscreen (The Influence of the Environment and Clothing on Human Exposure to Ultraviolet Light), sunglasses (Concerns that cost of sunscreen is increasing risk of skin cancer) and UV protective clothing (Prescription Sunglasses Cost)