Light plays an important role in everyday life: it affects people health, well-being and performance and contributes in defining the quality and the energy performance of buildings and communities. Research has recently proved that light is not only essential for vision, but it also determines non-visual effects through modulation of circadian rhythms and cognitive functions. Daylighting has the greatest power in term of circadian entrainment, but since people spent almost 90% of time indoor, innovation in lighting technologies, control strategies and design schemes is required, as the knowledge expands in the field of non-visual requirements. This comes with a risk of energy rebound, in a sector that, despite the increasing spread of high efficiency technologies (i.e. LED sources), still accounts for 5% of global CO2 emissions and 15% of the electrical energy consumption.
In this scenario, the importance of an integrated approach to achieve energy efficient, human-centric (integrative) lighting becomes evident. This includes:
- lighting technologies;
- daylighting technologies
- control systems (model predictive, simulation-based, AI-based, data driven, etc.);
- design schemes to support integrative lighting without compromising energy performance;
- lighting digitalization (intelligent and network connected lighting);
- tools and process for building design and operation phases.
Supervisor:
Prof. Anna Pellegrino