Open AccessDOI
Auto-tuning Daylight with LEDs: Sustainable Lighting for Health and Wellbeing
Eugenia Victoria Ellis,Elizabeth W. Gonzalez,David A Kratzer,Donald L. McEachron,Greg Yeutter +4 more
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TLDR
In this article, an energy-conserving diurnal daylight-matching LED luminaire is developed to improve health outcomes for the elderly at St Francis Country House near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Abstract:
While human life expectancy may be increasing due to advances in public health, technology and medicine, there are serious questions as to whether the quality of human life can keep up with this increase in longevity. Postindustrial society is experiencing a proliferation of light-related disorders and diseases specifically because our technologically-based society can operate 24 hours per day in illuminated indoor environments. Furthermore, illuminating interiors with electric lighting poses a dual dilemma: the energy efficiency of electric light versus natural daylight together with the impact of light itself on human health and wellbeing. This paper investigates sustainable design at the nexus of health, energy and technology by considering relationships between light and human health. By discussing the physiological effects of light on the body, the need for natural daylight in the human environment for improved cognitive functioning will be demonstrated. Because people spend a large portion of their time indoors, especially the elderly, unless a room is oriented to maximize light from the sun, it is necessary to illuminate the interior environment using electric light sources. However, artificially illuminating the indoors poses a sustainability issue because electric lighting is one of the largest contributors to energy consumption by buildings in the United States. Designing for older adults in health care environments, especially the elderly with age-related fragility, declining cognitive functioning and symptoms of dementia, is a particularly significant design challenge and one in which lighting can play a crucial role. To address both issues of health and sustainability, an energy-conserving diurnal daylight-matching LED luminaire is being developed to improve health outcomes for the elderly at St. Francis Country House near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.read more
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Journal ArticleDOI
Exposure to bright light and darkness to treat physiologic maladaptation to night work
Journal ArticleDOI
Biophilic, photobiological and energy-efficient design framework of adaptive building façades for Northern Canada:
TL;DR: The paper shows that existing ABFs must be further developed for northern applications in terms of the physical structure and configuration of components, and develops a holistic parametric methodology to integrate and optimize major design variables of ABF’s components.
Journal ArticleDOI
Lighting control systems in individual offices at high latitude: measurements of electricity savings and users preferences
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the results of a monitoring study providing some recommendations based on the human and technical aspects of lighting control systems in small scale applications in small-scale applications.
Dissertation
Lighting Control Systems for Energy Saving and User Acceptance: State-of-the-art and future directions
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used literature reviews and field studies to investigate the effect of lighting control systems on energy use and user acceptance, and they showed that presence and absence detection are often combined under the overarching category "occupancy strategies" although they yield very different energy savings.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Action Spectrum for Melatonin Regulation in Humans: Evidence for a Novel Circadian Photoreceptor
George C. Brainard,John P. Hanifin,Jeffrey M. Greeson,Brenda Byrne,Gena Glickman,Edward Gerner,Mark D. Rollag +6 more
TL;DR: The results suggest that, in humans, a single photopigment may be primarily responsible for melatonin suppression, and its peak absorbance appears to be distinct from that of rod and cone cellphotopigments for vision.
Book
Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature
TL;DR: Biomimicry is the quest for innovation inspired by nature, and science writer Janine M. Benyus names and explains this phenomenon that has been unfolding in all the science disciplines.
Journal ArticleDOI
Exposure to bright light and darkness to treat physiologic maladaptation to night work
Charles A. Czeisler,Michael P. Johnson,Jeanne F. Duffy,Emery N. Brown,Joseph M. Ronda,Richard E. Kronauer +5 more
TL;DR: It is concluded that maladaptation of the human circadian system to night work, with its associated decline in alertness, performance, and quality of daytime sleep, can be treated effectively with scheduled exposure to bright light at night and darkness during the day.
Journal ArticleDOI
Indirect bright light improves circadian rest-activity rhythm disturbances in demented patients
TL;DR: During increased illumination, the stability of the rest-activity rhythm increased in patients with intact vision, but not in visually impaired patients, and the hypothesis than an enduring increase in the daytime environmental illumination level improves rest- activity rhythm disturbances in demented patients is tested.
Journal ArticleDOI
Lighting for the human circadian clock: recent research indicates that lighting has become a public health issue
TL;DR: These studies suggest that the proper use and color of indoor and outdoor lighting is important to the health of both humans and ecosystems and lighting fixtures should be designed to minimize interference with normal circadian rhythms in plants and animals.