Visual Quality

Bringing the Outdoors, Into Your Classroom

The ideal situation is to be taught in a class that has as much natural light as possible. This often involves intelligent design which brings the outdoor environment, indoors with the use of overhangs, louvres, windows and doors. However, in many cases this is not possible as most schools have already been constructed. Artificial light then needs to be introduced in the form of LED Lighting so that teachers and pupils alike can benefit from a class room that is well lit.

Superior Lighting For Better Learning

LED Lighting is the way to go. LED or Light Emitting Diode technology has effectively replaced previous lighting like CFL’s (Compact Fluorescent Lights.)

LEDs have been ‘clustered’ to provide more light, and mounted within diffuser lenses which spread the light across a wider area. Recent advancements in manufacturing technology have driven the prices down to a level where LED lighting is now the most cost effective form of lighting. They offer lower energy consumption, longer life and increased robustness. They also emit less heat in operation.

How To Measure Light

Light is measured by lumens and lux. Lumens are a measure of the total “amount” of visible light emitted by a source.

The difference between the units lumen and lux is that the lux takes into account the “area” over which the luminous flux is spread. When deciding on artificial LED lighting for your school the right balance must be struck between the “amount” of light required and the  “area” that needs to be covered.

Saving Power With LED Lighting

Lights are obviously powered by electricity which is measures in Watts, Kilowatts (1000 watts) and Megawatts (one million watts or 1000 kilowatts).

Led lights, which are now available in tubes, down lighters and bulbs use considerably less watts than the typical compact fluorescent light without compromising on the quality of light. They also last much longer, are more robust and can be recycled.

The Effects Of Lighting On Pupils

The visual quality in the learning environment is critical in schools. It has a direct effect on productivity and learning performance. Pupils may tire more quickly or become restless which allows for a higher frequency of errors if classroom lighting is poor. Bad light may force pupils into uncomfortable positions in order to capitalise on what light is available. This has a direct effect on posture, concentration levels and general health. In addition when learning in a classroom with poor lighting your eyes have to double their work load J in order to focus. This may cause migraines or headaches with some pupils. Poor lighting also causes eye strain with may result in irritated, red, dry or watery eyes. To sum up, poor light may cause eyesight to deteriorate prematurely amongst some pupils.

When choosing LED lights for your school go for the brands that you are familiar with. Be aware of imitation and poor quality imports.

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