Abstract:

Lighting practitioners and laypeople alike believe that the quality of the luminous environment can influence task performance, comfort and well being. There is mounting concern that the quality of the lit environment will decline in parallel to lighting energy use as energy codes and standards come into effect. However, there is no consensus about what constitutes good lighting. Broad agreement exists that illuminance, luminance, luminance distribution, uniformity, glare control, flicker rate, and spectral power distribution are the important dimensions of the luminous environment. This literature review relates these variables to behavioural outcomes such as visual comfort, task performance, preferences, and well being.