Daylighting



These measurements were taken on a sunny day so there was nothing outside limiting out natural sunlight. If the day these measurments were taken was cloudy the measurments would change. In fact, they would decrease. This is because there would possibly be clouds in the sky that would block the sunlight, reducing the light coming into the room. The light meter's readings do vary depending on the location of the reading. This is because any different location vary in amount of light due to the conditions, items, or organisms in that environment. There is one way this information can be used to conserve energy in this room. If more students sit near the windows, there will be more natural light coming in through the windows. With the sunlight we do not need to use as much electrical light. These measurments were taken with a light meter on a flat surface. The amounts of lighting is measured in "foot candles" (Fc). Some people assume that 50 Fc is enough lighting for students in a classroom. If there was a test on if 50 Fc is a good amount of lighting, the students can read at different amounts of Fc to see whick lighting level is best for every student. The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America have standardized the amount of lighting in Fc for indoor lighting. In an average classroom, the requirements for the amount of lighting should be between 30-50 Fc, depending on what activity is being done. If you are reading small print or looking at a photograph, you need more light than if you were reading large print, or looking at an image on a computer screen.