Human centric lighting
The man at the center of the lighting. (= human centric to people)
Healthy light, this means not only perfect lighting quality.
Designers and manufacturers must cooperate closely for a lighting that really serves the people, and supported him. The right light at the right place with the right task and control, which helps to meet these requirements. Only by working together, we can achieve this goal.
Light effect. Visual and biological
Light, you need to watch. -Of course.
Only in the light we can make an image of our environment.
We can perceive patterns, shapes and movements, if light falls on surfaces. From there, it is reflected and reaches our eyes. The information that carries the light moved into our brain.
This process for people is how easy and pleasant, depends on how much light is available for this: enough light? or too much?
Also the illuminated surfaces itself play a role: they are very different in their brightness? They offer how much contrast?
In addition to its importance for the appearance, light influenced also our biological processes. That's what makes our considerations "human-centric".
Light may awaken us and enable. It is the timer for our internal clock, circadian rhythm. When hormones secreted which will relax us or others, enabling us to vigilance, is controlled by light. Our well-being is therefore directly dependent on what light we surround ourselves.
Natural light combines visual and biological effects in the mix best for the people. Man with the natural sunlight lives for more than 200,000 years. Our bodies are set on this light. Electric light there is only just over 200 years ago.
To preserve the benefits of natural light with artificial light, following principles must be followed:
-The color temperature of the light is similar to daylight. For this, especially the biologically active blue component in the lighting is important.
-Exactly, how light changes by the day, also the light in the Interior should be adapted according to dynamically later that day.
-Light from large areas, that illuminates the eye from the front and top, simulates the extent and direction of the light of heaven.
If this is achieved, we speak of human centric lighting. Healthy light.
Our internal biological clock and the hormones are your clock
Hormones control our mood, our sensibilities, our experience and our performance.
The two hormones serotonin and melatonin is directly dependent on the light.
Serotonin is known as endogenous antidepressant (hormone of happiness). It counteracts stress, is strongly mood enhancer and provides drive and motivation. If it is bright the neurotransmitter produced serotonin.
At night, melatonin from serotonin is made. This hormone relaxes and helps to fall asleep. In addition, melatonin stimulates the secretion of growth hormone. Regeneration processes in our bodies can therefore only occur when enough melatonin is secreted. So that melatonin can be produced, more there can be no daylight. Even artificial light should be not too bright, and no amount of blue. Very warm light at low intensities favors the production of melatonin.
For human centric lighting it is important to know that even melatonin good for our productivity and efficiency.
Melatonin, which controls our body clock, and keeps in tact, provides for night work, that we can do our work relaxed, focused and in a good mood. Warm fire-like light.
In the night shift work production suppresses melatonin by bright, blue light, this has implications for our ability to concentrate. The number of errors increases. Also, the circadian rhythm of Nachtarbeiters without melatonin so much out of the rhythm device, that he can have sleep problems after his shift.
Also the nightly regeneration processes, daily healing and repair of our body does not occur with night shift workers to bright light.
A study of nurses (NHS. Nurses health study) in the United States is the relationship between the low melatonin levels and an increased risk of breast cancer in night shift nurses. These nurses worked at night under bright blue-containing light (hospital).
Natural light is our reference
What is not emitted from a light source, cannot be played also by the illuminated object.
Natural light has several important features.
The Rainbow spectrum:
Natural daylight include all 16.7 million colors that humans can see. What we look at in this light, looks natural and real. Therefore, a continuous spectrum is also important for lamps and luminaries. The less complete, the spectrum of an art light source is even more unnatural, objects in this light will appear.
Often accustomed to the eye of these light sources (such as fluorescent lamps). Objects seem 'normal', although us aware that they would be different in the daylight. The conversion means work for the brain, which would like to offer always a stable perception of the people. This service is not for the actual work or brainteaser available and that ensures fatigue.
The second important feature of natural day light is that it is never the same. Day light changes by the day. So also our needs to the light change. While we feel very pleasant morning bright clear light and need much of it to feel us up and to start the day we feel the same light as uncomfortable and too cool in the evening. Then we prefer warm light colours that resemble the fire in its spectral distribution. Then little to feel comfortable enough of this warm light. A candle, for example.
This dynamic is happening in nature by alone and exactly how good the people. In our built environment, intelligent control systems must accept the task, human centric to make the light. The requirements, what has this time to happen, are derived directly from the natural course of the day.
Different studies deal with the advantages of dynamic white light at the workplace.
In 2007, we investigated how the well-being of employees and efficiency affect cool white light in the Office. It was found out that the employees in this light felt more comfortable and more vital. The error rates declined measurably, and there were fewer sick days.
The Fraunhofer Institute in Germany 2014 found out the biodynamic light systems (human centric lighting) in offices find very wide acceptance.
The ZVEI (Central Association of the electrical industry) examined and confirmed the financial benefits of a dynamically controlled lighting in 2015.
What does this forecast for the luminaire manufacturer?
The approach "human centric lighting" we face the task to look at lighting projects as a whole as a lighting manufacturer. Not the lamp is the final product, but the entire lighting solution that is above all the users and its needs in the Center.
The ideal lighting solution includes a control solution tailored to the needs of the project.
Thoughts on the age of the people, their culture, their geographic location and the tasks of the light in the daily use are incorporated in the development of the luminaires and their operation.
