Lighting level

The lighting level, also known as brightness level, describes the average illuminance in a room or at a specific location. It is measured in lux and depends on the light output of the fixtures as well as the reflective properties of the surrounding surfaces such as walls, ceilings, and floors. Light-colored surfaces reflect light better, while darker materials reflect less light, which affects the perception of the lighting level. For example, a white ceiling has a reflectance of about 85%, while a brick wall only reflects about 25% of the light.

Lighting Level in the Workplace

An optimal lighting level is essential to facilitate demanding visual tasks such as reading, writing, or working on a computer, and to prevent fatigue. To achieve this, the illuminance, reflectance, and the specific visual task must be aligned. For instance, more challenging visual tasks or darker surroundings require higher illuminance. For example, the required lighting level for office writing tasks is set at an illuminance of 500 lux.

Lighting Level in Street Lighting

The lighting level also plays an important role in street lighting. Although there are no legal minimum requirements, municipalities must fulfill their duty of traffic safety by ensuring that important inner-city streets are adequately lit to guarantee the safety of all road users. For speeds above 30 km/h, luminance is used as the standard, while for lower speeds, illuminance is the key measure. Back