Quality and Efficiency of Office Lighting

The use of artificial lighting in the office buildings has significant contribution on total energyconsumption of the building. With the increase in the price of energy and public becoming moreenergy conscious, more attention has been given to the energy efficient lighting. On the other hand,with increased trend to go for efficient lighting systems, the quality of lighting has to be maintained.Efficient lighting and quality lighting are not contradictory to each other and the better understanding ofthese two terms would be helpful to promote the improvement of the energy efficiency.The present paper first gives an overview of the different factors related to the quality of lighting inoffice environment. Different studies about the occupants preference on light level, light distribution,colour, and other quality aspects have been summarized. The effect of efficiency measures on lightingquality is well discussed. Use of occupancy sensors, application of daylight and dimming according todaylight are some of the promising energy saving techniques. The result of the energy consumptionmeasurement carried out in office rooms with different lighting control systems and their comparisonshows that significant improvement in efficiency can be made without compromising on quality.