New Perspectives on Lighting

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Buildings buildings	3.8	3.1	2011	14.6 Days	CHF 2600
Energies energies	3.2	5.5	2008	16.1 Days	CHF 2600
Sustainability sustainability	3.9	5.8	2009	18.8 Days	CHF 2400
Urban Science urbansci	2.0	4.5	2017	23.7 Days	CHF 1600

22 pages, 4799 KiB

Open AccessConcept Paper

Healthier and Environmentally Responsible Sustainable Cities and Communities. A New Design Framework and Planning Approach for Urban Illumination

by Karolina M. Zielinska-Dabkowska

Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 14525; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114525 - 04 Nov 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3684

Abstract

Although sustainability and sustainable development are both considered necessary practices in various fields today, a recent analysis showed that the Sustainable Development Goal SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities established by the United Nations does not address urban illumination and its impact. This oversight [...] Read more.

Although sustainability and sustainable development are both considered necessary practices in various fields today, a recent analysis showed that the Sustainable Development Goal SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities established by the United Nations does not address urban illumination and its impact. This oversight is of concern because research carried out in the last 20+ years indicates artificial light at night (ALAN) in cities, and the light pollution this generates can have negative consequences on human health and well-being and the entire environment, including ecosystems and the flora and fauna that inhabit them. By applying a literature review, analysis and synthesis method, this work offers a new perspective on lighting and a timeline of key events that established ALAN and light pollution awareness in different disciplines and professional groups connected to urban illumination. It also identifies three fundamental aspects which require further transdisciplinary research and the translation of this knowledge into practice in order to enable the development of sustainable cities and communities at night. Finally, it presents in detail a new, theoretical environment-centred design framework for responsible urban illumination, with four iterative design phases, in order to help guide various stakeholders in cities, along with a four-level pyramid model that can be applied to urban illumination in the form of principles, processes, practices, and tools. This framework is especially relevant for those urban planners, architects, and landscape designers, who are unfamiliar with the subject in order to present the most effective and appropriate lighting design approach and methods that should be taken into consideration with the design of a given urban nighttime environment/situation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic New Perspectives on Lighting)

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10 pages, 1599 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Approach for Lighting Calculations in Indoor Mirrored Facilities Based on Virtual Twin-Spaces

by Antonio Peña-García

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 11837; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141911837 - 20 Sep 2022

Viewed by 1182

Abstract

The presence of walls with different reflectance in indoor facilities is a problem when designing their lighting installations. This problem becomes more serious when one or more walls are mirrors, a common situation in medical, sport, educative and many other indoor facilities. Even [...] Read more.

The presence of walls with different reflectance in indoor facilities is a problem when designing their lighting installations. This problem becomes more serious when one or more walls are mirrors, a common situation in medical, sport, educative and many other indoor facilities. Even if some programs can work with different approaches, the results are far from exact and, in many cases, designers ignore the mirrors and work by eye, with results that are frequently excessive in terms of illuminance on the working planes, glare and energy consumption and use of materials. These deviations from the intended results are due to the direct or indirect estimation of reflectance remarkably lower than 1 in the mirrored walls. In this framework of uncertainty, this work is presented with the objective of developing an intuitive theoretical model based on the consideration of virtual twin-spaces behind the mirrors. This proposal is not just an approach, but a useful tool providing the input for any kind of calculation ranging from the lumen method, used in quick pre-dimensioning, to the most complete calculations with computational methods. In addition, apart from calculating the number of luminaires and photometric parameters, the use of virtual twin-rooms also takes into account the extended field of vision of the users, including objects behind, and virtual luminaries. This advantage has no precedent in the literature up to date. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic New Perspectives on Lighting)

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19 pages, 7696 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Experimental Study of Electromagnetic Field Propagation Due to Lightning Upward Leaders and Its Probability on Different Small-Scale Structures

by Irshad Ullah, Mohd Nor Ramdon Bin Bahrom, Muhammad Adeel Khan and Azhar Qazi

Energies 2022, 15(18), 6597; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15186597 - 09 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1273

Abstract

In this paper, upward leader initiation and the probability of lightning flashes on different air terminal were analyzed in detail. With the growing global warming, lightning flash density has increased abruptly, especially in tropical countries. Upward leaders are the critical elements to be [...] Read more.

In this paper, upward leader initiation and the probability of lightning flashes on different air terminal were analyzed in detail. With the growing global warming, lightning flash density has increased abruptly, especially in tropical countries. Upward leaders are the critical elements to be considered for defining comprehensive protective measures against lightning during thunderstorms. This article presents the lightning flashover phenomenon on scaled buildings with installed lightning rods. Moreover, the electric field and initialization of upward leaders from Lightning Air Terminals (LATs) were analyzed in detail using Ansys Maxwell as a simulation tool. For the experimental work, a high-voltage impulse generator was used. The air gap between the lightning rods and the top electrode was kept constant in all scaled structures. The purpose of using an identical air gap was to study the upward leader and its electric field for all structures. The effects of the upward leaders on the electric field plots are explained in detail and allowed the determination of the electric field’s intensity around each air terminal for the provided air gap between the tip of the rod and the top electrode. A low-cost lightning protection system was taken into account, as the economic crisis is worsening with time. A Franklin rod was used as the primary protection device for the initiation of the upward streamer. The experimental results were obtained in Malaysian weather conditions based on standard values of temperature and pressure. The study presented in this article shows that based on the experimental work, field plots were obtained for both the air insulation scenario and the condition when the upward leader was incepted. The simulation results showed a firm agreement with the measured values. Similarly, by upward leader inception, the strikes could be predicted accurately on every installed air terminal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic New Perspectives on Lighting)

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15 pages, 4236 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Active Power Control of Retrofit LED Tube Lamps for Achieving Entitled Energy Savings in View of the EU Ban on Mercury

by Shounak Roy and Michael Krames

Sustainability 2022, 14(16), 10062; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610062 - 14 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1568

Abstract

The performance of commercially available retrofit LED tubes intended for the replacement of linear fluorescent lamps is measured and analyzed with respect to “real-world” installed electronic ballasts, as ascertained through field recovery from installed bases, such as office buildings, parking garages, and industrial [...] Read more.

The performance of commercially available retrofit LED tubes intended for the replacement of linear fluorescent lamps is measured and analyzed with respect to “real-world” installed electronic ballasts, as ascertained through field recovery from installed bases, such as office buildings, parking garages, and industrial installations in western Europe from 2018 to 2020. Results show a wide variation in lamp power draw, which not only thwarts the energy-saving and climate protection aspects of the LED retrofit solution but also poses potential safety risks. Given the EU’s goals under the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive to phase out mercury-containing fluorescent lighting, starting from September 2023, the situation is alarming. We show that this lamp power spread is due to the fundamental differences in impedance between fluorescent lamps and LEDs, in combination with the passive nature of the driver electronics that are currently employed in commercially available LED tube lamps. In response to this disparity, a novel driver topology including active power control (APC) is introduced, which shows that the power-spread problem can be avoided, and we offer a manufacturable solution. A prototype retrofit LED tube lamp incorporating this APC driver technology is shown to deliver safe and predictable energy savings, outlining a path toward guaranteeing the expected return-on-investment and positive environmental impact of the solid-state lighting replacement of mercury-containing linear fluorescent lamps. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic New Perspectives on Lighting)

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12 pages, 650 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Czech Drivers’ Glare Perception Survey

by Lucie Viktorová, Klára Mičková and Ladislav Stanke

Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8922; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148922 - 21 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1299

Abstract

Worldwide, road-users complain about glare from oncoming cars’ headlights, often blaming new light sources such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, drivers’ own behavior and attitudes might contribute to the issue of glare. The aim of this research was to establish the prevalence of [...] Read more.

Worldwide, road-users complain about glare from oncoming cars’ headlights, often blaming new light sources such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, drivers’ own behavior and attitudes might contribute to the issue of glare. The aim of this research was to establish the prevalence of on-road glare and its associations with drivers’ attitudes in a sample of Czech drivers. We used an online survey and gained responses from 539 passenger-car-drivers. The majority experienced glare at least once a week or almost daily, identifying mainly white- or bluish-colored headlights as the source of glare. However, about 60% of participants would prefer the view of the road that is provided by these sources, and an association was found between the preferred part of the lighting color spectrum and the perceived glare source color. A large proportion of drivers were also not aware of the specifics of the lighting sources that they used. These findings suggest the need for driver education in the area of automotive lighting and glare prevention. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic New Perspectives on Lighting)

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18 pages, 6091 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis and Recommendations for LED Catastrophic Failure Due to Voltage Stress

by Shimi Sudha Letha, Math H. J. Bollen and Sarah K. Rönnberg

Energies 2022, 15(2), 540; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15020540 - 12 Jan 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1649

Abstract

Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting has, compared to other types of lighting, a significantly lower energy consumption. However, the perceived service life is also important for customer satisfaction and here there is a discrepancy between customers’ experience and manufacturers’ statements. Many customers experience a [...] Read more.

Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting has, compared to other types of lighting, a significantly lower energy consumption. However, the perceived service life is also important for customer satisfaction and here there is a discrepancy between customers’ experience and manufacturers’ statements. Many customers experience a significantly shorter service life than claimed by the manufacturers. An experiment was carried out in the Pehr Högström Laboratory at Luleå University of Technology in Skellefteå, Sweden to investigate whether voltage disturbances could explain this discrepancy. Over 1000 LED lamps were exposed to high levels of voltage disturbances for more than 6000 h; the failure rate from this experiment was similar to the one from previous experiments in which lamps were exposed to normal voltage. The discrepancy thus remains, even though some possible explanations have emerged from the project’s results. The lamps were exposed to five different types of voltage disturbances: short interruptions; transients; overvoltage; undervoltage; and harmonics. Only overvoltage resulted in failure of the lamps, and only for a single topology of lamp. A detailed analysis has been made of the topology of lamps that failed. This lamp type contains a different internal electronics circuit than the other lamp types. Failures of the lamps when exposed to overvoltage are due to the heat development in the control circuit increasing sharply when the lamps are exposed to a higher voltage. Hence, it is concluded that there are lamps that are significantly more sensitive to voltage disturbances than other lamp types. Manufactures need to consider the voltage quality that can be expected at the terminal of the lamp to prevent failure of lamps due to voltage disturbances. This paper therefore contains recommendations for manufacturers of lighting; the recommendations describe which voltage disturbances lamps should cope with. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic New Perspectives on Lighting)

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9 pages, 5863 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Groves on Daylight Conditions and Visual Performance of Users of Urban Civil Infrastructures

by Agustín Castillo-Martínez and Antonio Peña-García

Sustainability 2021, 13(22), 12732; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212732 - 17 Nov 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1366

Abstract

The control and efficient use of daylight is a difficult task due to its seasonal and hourly variation. Although it is matter of active research in indoor lighting due to the necessity to light human tasks at any hour of the day in [...] Read more.

The control and efficient use of daylight is a difficult task due to its seasonal and hourly variation. Although it is matter of active research in indoor lighting due to the necessity to light human tasks at any hour of the day in a sustainable way, little attention has been paid to the impact of daylight on visual performance, safety and ergonomics of citizens, especially pedestrians in urban areas. This attention is even lower when dealing with the interaction between daylight and urban groves, which is an essential element in cities due to a wide variety of benefits like shadowing, CO₂ absorption, natural aesthetics, noise protection and many others. In this work, the interaction between daylight and typical urban trees in one city with high levels of insolation (Granada, in southern Spain) has been studied. The results, conclusions and proposals for a more sustainable urban planning are analyzed and presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic New Perspectives on Lighting)

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17 pages, 5321 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Color Discrimination of Different Light Sources

by Pedro Bustamante, Ignacio Acosta, Jesús León and Miguel Angel Campano

Buildings 2021, 11(11), 527; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11110527 - 08 Nov 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2409

Abstract

Light quality is a key parameter of building design, which is mainly defined by the perceived luminance and the color rendering. Nowadays, there is a wide variety of metrics that do not converge in the color rendition evaluation of current light sources. The [...] Read more.

Light quality is a key parameter of building design, which is mainly defined by the perceived luminance and the color rendering. Nowadays, there is a wide variety of metrics that do not converge in the color rendition evaluation of current light sources. The obsolescence of the Color Rendering Index promoted the rise of new procedures to provide an accurate evaluation. However, the score provided by most of these metrics does not distinguish between color deviation and hue discrimination, giving a single value to assess the overall color perception allowed by a light source. In this context, a new study is proposed, based on the evaluation of seven different light sources, comparing the results of the most recent color rendering metrics and those observed using a Farnsworth–Munsell trial carried out with 115 participants. The results obtained show that there is a notable divergence between color rendition and hue discrimination, although there is a clear proportionality between both. Moreover, a clear relationship is observed between color discrimination and the correlative color temperature of light sources, providing a better hue distinction with cool light sources, even though the psychological preferences of the participants do not coincide with the optimal scenario for color discrimination. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic New Perspectives on Lighting)

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