Factors affecting optimal lighting use in shared hospital environments: A case-study

Abstract

Lighting in hospitals consumes non-negligible quantities of energy, and it would be very desirable to reduce this consumption. In shared hospital environments such as staff rooms or dayrooms, behavioural changes can reduce energy usage and support occupant satisfaction without requiring advanced technological solutions. The objective of this paper is to identify critical factors affecting occupants' optimal use of lighting in such environments. The Theory of Affordances and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) were integrated to link design characteristics of lighting control user interfaces with perceived behavioural control (PBC), which together were expected to influence occupants' optimal lighting use. The effects of different designs for everyday interfaces (i.e. light switches) on occupants' lighting use were investigated by means of a self-report questionnaire (n = 42), field observations, and measurements conducted in a dining room and a dayroom at a hospital in Sweden. A significant relationship was found between the perceived affordances of the switches and PBC. However, there were no significant associations between TPB factors and behaviour. The variables identified to affect optimal lighting use were satisfaction with lighting, a subscale measuring attitudes (i.e. affective-related beliefs), and general lighting-use behaviours. The design of the interfaces also had an effect on lighting use. These results indicate that individual-based factors and the perception of interface designs should be considered in parallel when designing interventions to reduce energy usage due to lighting in hospitals.