Comfortable indoor lighting conditions for LEDlights evaluated from psychological and physiological responses

Abstract

Comfortable light emitting diode (LED) lighting conditions were examined for psychological and physiological responses. Eight male and eight female subjects participated in a series of experiments. They were exposed to light emitted from LED lights of 3000 K in the ranges of 150–400 lux and 1500–5000 lux; 4000 K in the ranges of 140–640 lux and 2000–5000 lux; and 5000 K in the ranges of 70–270 lux and 2500–7000 lux. Illuminance at a given correlated color temperature was first maintained at the lowest value in the designated range and then increased in a stepwise manner. On reaching the highest value in the range, it was then decreased to the lowest value in a stepwise manner. The subjects were required to indicate their perception of brightness, glare, and comfort at the controlled illuminance levels. Electrocardiogram and electroencephalogram data were monitored continuously throughout exposure. The results showed that the boundary illuminances estimated from psychological and physiological responses did not significantly differ between male and female subjects, but differed markedly from those of fluorescent lights tested in a previous study. The high boundaries of the LED lights were higher than those of the fluorescent lights. The low boundaries of the LED lights at 3000 K and 4000 K were higher than those of the fluorescent lights, but the boundaries at 5000 K were lower than those of the fluorescent lights. These differences may be due to differences in the spectral distribution and luminance for a given illuminance between LED and fluorescent lights.