Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering (2023) 48:6703–6716

https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-022-07510-0

RESEARCH ARTICLE-ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Real-Time Investigations and Simulation on the Impact of Lighting

Ambience on Circadian Stimulus
Veena Mathew1 · Ciji Pearl Kurian1 · Susan G. Varghese1 · Kannika Priyadarshini1 · Siddanth S. Bhandary1

Received: 16 March 2022 / Accepted: 24 November 2022 / Published online: 9 December 2022
© The Author(s) 2022

Abstract
Indoor lighting, incorporated with visual and circadian needs, is the upcoming goal of lighting designers. In tropical and
subtropical regions, where more daylight is available, daylight harvesting is a prime source of ambient lighting indoors. This
paper aims to study various cases of lighting ambience to investigate the circadian lighting capability in terms of the circadian
stimulus (CS) of the system under consideration. The instances considered are simulation studies in an open office plan and
real-time experimentations in a test workbench and a faculty cabin. Daylight integration was undertaken through controlled
venetian blinds, tunable sources and a commercially available human-centric lighting system. The result and analysis show
the influence of spectrally tunable light sources on CS rather than fixed light sources. Due to the varying CCT of tunable
LED luminaire, circadian stimulation for an occupant can be easily incorporated without crossing the limits of vertical and
horizontal illuminance, which may lead to visual discomfort. The findings from this study reveal that daylight–artificial
light integration scheme with controlled shading and spectrally tunable source provides the optimal solution for glare-free,
energy-effective and circadian entrainment, i.e. human-centric lighting (HCL). With the help of simulations, pre-evaluation
will aid the lighting engineers in making a better choice among the various lighting-controlled schemes to implement HCL
in indoor office spaces.

Keywords Circadian effectiveness · Vertical illuminance · Human-centric lighting · DIALUX EVO · Building performance
simulation · Visual comfort

1 Introduction majorly melatonin secretion, which affects people’s sleep

patterns, healthiness and wellness. Therefore, the workplace
The circadian clock of humans is synchronized with symmet- must integrate the person’s health, mood and visual comfort.
ric exposure to day and night light [1]. It causes advancement Daylight indoors is a better- preferred work environment due
and delays in our biological clock, making it later or earlier to to the presence of ambient daylight and the possibility of
go to bed and wake up [2, 3]. The intervention of unsymmet- outside views [8–10]. As mentioned earlier, daylight is the
rical light exposures can cause an imbalance in the light and perfect source of synchronizing the human circadian system,
dark pattern. This light balance will influence the physiology, provided a proper amount of other photometric quantities
health, emotional and cognitive responses [4, 5]. People at exist. Even though there are many discussions and argu-
the workplace are exposed to variant light patterns and inten- ments, the widely accepted correlated factors on circadian
sity, and one of the most significant factors influencing health effectiveness are (i) corneal/vertical eye illuminance (Ev , illu-
and productivity is workplace lighting. Various researchers minance at the eye level) and (ii) blue wavelength content in
showed the effect of frequent interruption in light sources on the spectral power distribution (cool white/higher CCT) [11,
variations in their biological clock [6, 7]. Circadian inter- 12]. Various studies have been put forward to establish the
ruption interferes with the balance in hormone secretion, impact of vertical eye illuminance and correlated colour tem-
perature (CCT) on circadian entrainment [13–15]. The CCT
B Ciji Pearl Kurian of a light source is defined as a point on the black body locus
ciji.pearl@manipal.edu
that matches most closely to its chromaticity coordinates,
1 Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, called its colour temperature, measured in degrees Kelvin
Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher (K). Lower CCT values (1800–2700 K) are considered warm
Education, Manipal 576104, India

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tones, neutral white is about 4000 K, and the higher values minimum of CS.0.3 is recommended for circadian entrain-
of 5000 K and above are the coolest CCTs. Optimizing inte- ment at least for two continuous hours during the daytime.
rior light availability requires the controlled availability of The average CS can be calculated by Eq. (1). Circadian light
illuminance and CCT [16, 17]. Manual control or a closed- (CLA) is the spectrally weighted irradiance to the human
loop control scheme can control an interior daylit space. circadian system.
Climate-based artificial light–daylight integrated models are
⎛ ⎞
widely used to augment the overall comfort of occupants
1
[18–20]. In the author’s previous works, the models were C S = 0.7 ∗ ⎝1 − ⎠ (1)
C L A 1.1026
designed only to achieve visual comfort, thermal comfort 1+ 355.7
and energy optimization. These automated building controls
lack the circadian entrainment of occupants. Optimizing cir- CS represents the effectiveness of CLA or the amount of
cadian stimulation without compromising overall comfort nocturnal melatonin suppression after an hour of exposure to
and energy saving is the major challenge of current research. light. The potential of circadian light is defined as a minimum
However, the arrival of tunable LED luminaires and the incor- of 0.3 CS at the occupant’s eye level during daytime for at
poration of artificial intelligence leads to the possibilities of a least two hours.
closed-loop control scheme for providing circadian enhance- From the above literature, the light level reaches our eyes,
ment, commonly called ’‘human-centric lighting’ systems and its CCT speaks a lot about the distribution of CS, which
[21, 22]. Artificial intelligence applications are widely dis- helps assess the circadian influence based on Ev and CCT. A
tributed in various engineering fields [23, 24]. A detailed higher level of vertical eye illuminance always contributes to
description of this is beyond the scope of this article. higher CS, which is suitable for the deliverance of circadian
Many standards, regulations and recommended actions lighting. However, this can also lead to glare sensations for
are put forward in the world lighting community to enhance the occupants in the interior space. Without controlled light-
the non-visual activities of the occupants. Based on the spec- ing, focusing only on the non-visual aspects is obsolete. Due
tral power distribution and the α-opic illuminance, lighting to the growing awareness of circadian lighting, dimmable and
researchers initiated the quantification of non-visual effects CCT tunable sources are also important. Here the variation
[25–27]. Based on the α-opic illuminance, the spectral sen- in the spectrum at different CCTs is meant to mimic the day-
sitivity functions of five known photopigments in the eye light spectrum across the day to reduce the interruptions by
and the incident light on the cornea, a particular quantity light on the circadian clock. Despite the predominant effects
is evaluated for each photopigment. A 32-year-old standard of colour-tunable sources, people sometimes prefer uniform
observer is considered as the reference. Later utilizing the illuminance with static light that exhibits constant white light.
spectral sensitivity functions, the national standards com- People’s light perception varies with the appearance of the
mittee ‘Deutsches Institut für Normung’ (DIN) established ambience.
melanopic factor of luminous radiation amel and melanopic CS mainly changes due to the variations in Ev. By fol-
daylight equivalent illuminance Evmel , D65 [28, 29]. These lowing the changes in Ev , the CS can be well predicted.
metrics represent the effect of light on a single photopigment The vertical eye illuminance (Ev ), or the light level reaching
called melanopsin. But the circadian system’s sensitivity the human eye, varies with changes in building geometries
also depends on the signals from other photoreceptors, i.e. like room depth, ceiling and wall reflectance factors, window
cones and rods. The ‘International WELL Building Institute’ size, shading elements, light sources, whether daylight and
(IWBI) put forward melanopic ratio (Rmel) and equiva- electric light and other external conditions like sky types, sea-
lent melanopic lux (EML) [30–32], which are based on the sonal variations, etc. Also, as the distance from the windows
melanopsin sensitivity function. However, the metrics men- changes in only daylit spaces, Ev and CCT vary. Unless the
tioned above do not integrate the neuroanatomy of the retina interior space does not have uniform lighting or a controlled
and the signal transfer in the brain. The Lighting Research daylight–artificial light climate-responsive system, there will
Institute (LRC) developed a new metric called circadian be variations in the above photometric quantities at different
stimulus (CS), which incorporates complex neuroanatomy, locations.
neurophysiology and the circadian system’s characteristics Consequently, in those scenarios, the CS also changes.
[33]. Besides hormonal suppression, other visual effects like Hence, we need to know about the variations in the lighting
brightness, clarity, scene preference and colour preference metrics mentioned earlier to incorporate human-centric light-
can be enhanced by considering the neurophysiology. More- ing design properly. Also, here we are considering an office
over, recommendations regarding CS for academic and office having a proper layout, with varying venetian blinds and tun-
purposes have been defined and applied in various field stud- able and dimmable luminaires. We have not undertaken any
ies [9, 10, 34, 35]. CS varies from 0 to a saturation of 0.7. A constructional variations for analysing the circadian effect
on occupants. Since the sky conditions vary continuously, it

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Fig. 1 Layout of the entire floor plan a and the layout of the open office space b

significantly impacts incoming daylight in daylight–artificial

light integrated systems. Therefore, it leads to variations in
light level and circadian light in an interior space.
Simulations are done with an open office plan inte-
grating the venetian blinds, daylight, static and dynamic
(colour-varying) light sources. Real-time experimentation
was performed in a test workbench with venetian blinds, fixed
and tunable light sources and a market-available HCL sys-
tem. Overall, this work considers the variation in CS under
different lighting ambiences and is obtained from simulation
and real-time experimentation in a test room with venetian
blinds and dimmable sources and with a commercially avail- Fig. 2 3-D view of the open office plan
able human-centric lighting system. We have considered an
open office for the simulation, and a test room is considered
for real-time experimentation. This article aims to study the rooms and 12Pax meeting rooms with typical dimensions.
impact of spectrally tunable and fixed light sources on CS in Recess-mounted light fixtures are considered. There are 15
daylight–artificial light integrated systems via simulations. windows for this open workspace. The 3D room view is
Also, this research focuses on the implications of human- given in Fig. 2, and the climate change considerations are
centric lighting systems under varying lighting conditions also below.
and shading control strategies.
• February–June: summer season

2 Experimental Methods July–September: rainy season

October–January: winter season
2.1 Simulation of an Open-Plan Office
• Working hours are from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.
For the simulation study, we considered an open office
workspace in Manipal (Latitude 13.350, Longitude 74.790). The number of luminaires was selected to achieve an aver-
Here we used the software DIALUX EVO to simulate the age illuminance of 500 lx.
workplace. The vertical illuminance (Ev ) is estimated at eye
level (1.2 m above ground level), whereas the horizontal illu- 2.2 Real-Time Experimentation in a Test Workbench
minance (Eh ) is obtained at 0.8 m height. The drafting tool
AutoCAD 2015 was used to know the exact dimensions of Experimental investigations were carried out in a test room
the ceiling, floor, furniture, etc. and the scaled version of at MIT-Manipal (13.3525° N, 74.7928° E) with a climate-
each site area. Figure 1 shows the layout of the entire floor responsive automated control facility for venetian blinds and
and the open office space. Here we have considered the open luminaires [36]. The air-conditioned test room has a dimen-
workspace, as shown in Fig. 2. There are several rooms like sion of 4 m × 4 m × 2.3 m with clear glass windows of size
Cabins, 6Pax meeting rooms, private offices, 4Pax meeting 1.3 m × 1.3 m on all four wall sides, which can be operated

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the lights with 10% off and finally switching it off. The light
is switched on immediately when the person enters the room
and turns off after a delay of 5min.

3 Results and Discussion

3.1 Simulation of Daylight–Artificial Light

Integration Scheme Incorporating Venetian
Blinds (Closed with Slat Angle Open) and Fixed
Light output
Fig. 3 Interior view of the test room
Daylight does not provide adequate visual and non-visual
effects in the interior as a single source. However, integrating
one at a time or multiple windows. Figure 3 shows the sys- sunlight and the artificial source provides a better solution for
tem with motor-controlled venetian blinds and two dimmable synchronizing the human clock and providing visual comfort.
LED luminaires. The binds and the static luminaires are auto- Daylight glare, interior thermal performance, etc. are some
mated using a climate model-based algorithm implemented of the major issues that appear while merging electrical light
on an embedded control platform using LabVIEW. The sys- with natural light. Various shading elements are available
tem is designed to adjust the blind position to achieve visual to control the glare and light level inside the room. Here,
and thermal comfort and energy saving by keeping the room we have chosen venetian blinds to optimize visual comfort,
temperature and the interior illuminance to given set points. thermal comfort and energy savings, a climate-responsive
The work plane of the room (2 m × 2 m) has two zones. approach. Simulations were carried out with various sky
The first zone is considered one window head height from types and seasons from morning 8.00 am to 6.00 pm. Figure 4
each window, and the second is away from the window. In shows the average Ev and average CS variations observed
their previous works, the authors developed fuzzy-based [20] under different sky types and seasons in a day. The combi-
and predictive models [36, 37] to predict the blind position national CS was estimated using the enhanced CS calculator
for achieving visual comfort, thermal comfort and energy CS 2.0 developed by Lighting Research Centre (LRC) [38].
saving. The direct light source (5700 K, 36 W) is considered to sim-
ulate this case. While considering all the circumstances, it
2.3 Real-time Readings from a Faculty Cabin was observed that as Ev approaches 400 lx, the probability
with a Commercially Available Human-Centric of an average CS of 0.3 is more. Hence, the integration of
Lighting system (HCL) venetian blinds as shading devices does not limit the required
average CS in the open space for the circadian entrainment
We have implemented a commercially available human- of occupants. Also, the variation in the pattern of CS with
centric lighting system with a controller and sensor in a test and without blinds seems similar. The average ratio of CS in
cabin. The system is meant to provide adequate light that sim- both cases was found to be 1.085, and for Ev, it was 1.134;
ulates central characteristics and the dynamic progression of this helps to know the impact of fully closed blinds on the
natural daylight to improve the quality of life in the workplace circadian entrainment of occupants in different daylighting
significantly. This technology provides automated circadian conditions. Simulations show that the minimum criteria of
entrainment and energy efficiency using intelligent sensors. CS as 0.3 are met in all cases, except in winter overcast sky.
This system has a pattern of light level and CCT variation Under the Overcast sky in winter, the CS was on the verge,
and also incorporates automatic on and off based on the occu- and the average Ev was found to be less. So in these lighting
pancy and light level control based on daylight availability. conditions, an auxiliary light or without shading conditions
The appearance changes from warm to cool white following can enhance the CS level. Incorporating blinds reduces the
the day’s timings. Both manual and automatic mode of con- availability of Ev, especially during the morning time in the
trol is possible with the system. Three zones are considered rainy season. Also, during the winter, the light level (Ev) is
for sensing a person starting from sitting in the place, next less in the morning in both cases. A light source with higher
moving hand and then moving forward, taking distance for CCT may provide the required CS with less value of Ev.
total coverage as 8m for 360 degrees. The wireless communi- Replacing fixed luminaires with dimmable/tunable sources
cation between the module and the sensors is carried out via can perform better circadian entrainment. A controllable light
Power over Ethernet (POE). The sensor communicates with output provides circadian effects, visual comfort and energy
the driver accordingly. The delay time starts; then, it reduces optimization. Figure 5 indicates the uniformity in work plane

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Fig. 4 Ev and CS with seasonal

variations and sky type
conditions with and without
window blind. a With blinds and
b without blinds

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Fig. 5 (Left) Uniformity in work plane illuminance with blinds and (right) without blinds

6.00E-02

5.00E-02

4.00E-02

Relative power
3.00E-02

2.00E-02

1.00E-02

0.00E+00

350
367
384
401
418
435
452
469
486
503
520
537
554
571
588
605
622
639
656
673
690
707
724
741
758
775
792
-1.00E-02
Nanometers
1598 K 2325 K 3646 K 5136 KJ

Fig. 6 View of the room with Blinds closed and slat angle open Fig. 7 Tunable luminaire spectra at various CCT measured with inte-
grating sphere

illuminance in both cases (with and without blinds). Figure 6

shows the view of the room. Shading provides uniformity, but
it is suggested not to use shading to give CS for the specific was done from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm with a time interval of ½
sky and climate conditions. an hour. Table 1 shows the lighting conditions obtained from
the adaptive control algorithm. The blind position from 8:30
3.2 Climate-Responsive Integration am to 12:00 pm is 70% open, and from 12:30 pm to 6:00
of Daylight–artificial light using Tunable light am, it is 100% open. To achieve uniformity, the number of
source and Venetian Blind luminaires estimated using the lumen method is 65. Figure 9
shows the occupant position and Fig. 10 gives lighting distri-
Ten occupants were considered to analyse Ev’s distribution at bution and Ev at each occupant position. The person sitting
their seating positions in this case. A dimmable and spectrally in the east direction receives less Ev than all others. A supple-
tunable luminaire with varying CCT is replaced with the mentary light source is required to augment their circadian
source considered in Sect. 3.1. Figure 7 shows the measured effectiveness. Maximum Ev appeared for the person sitting
spectral variations with an integrating sphere in different on the west side. In all other directions, a prominent presence
CCTs. For the simulation, we used the climate-based adap- of Ev was observed. The distribution pattern of Ev in all ori-
tive fuzzy control algorithm for the venetian blind developed entations was evaluated as the same. Ev is highest on the west
by the author [36]. The percentage of blind opening and the side during the morning, especially between 9.00 am and 10
luminaire dimming was used based on the algorithm. Regard- am. There was a drastic change in light level from morn-
ing the tunable sources, higher CCTs were chosen during the ing to afternoon on the west side. East side perceived stable
morning and gradually lower CCT’s afternoon based on the Ev throughout the time duration. South-east and north-east
timing. directions show a similar pattern in light level.
Figure 8 (left) shows the distribution of light levels on Similarly, south-west and north-west directions perceive
polar coordinates; this information in electronic file format, almost identical Ev . The north and south directions also show
i.e. IES files, is used for the simulation using Dialux Evo. the same pattern in Ev during the entire period. Finding the
Figure 8 (right) gives the variation of CS on polar coordi- appropriate seating position is a prerequisite in preoccupancy
nates, estimated using the CS2.0 calculator. The simulation daylight evaluation for circadian enhancement.

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Fig. 8 Polar plot of the tunable

luminaire (left) and variation in
CS on polar coordinates (right)
(estimated using CS2.0
Calculator)

Figure 11 shows the variation in CS and Ev with an the minimum CS. So these seating positions and the loca-
increase in room depth. As the distance from windows tions beyond this distance required auxiliary light sources to
increases, the CS level reduces due to a reduction in Ev ’s at enhance the CS.
those locations. Occupants 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 faced the north Compared to an occupant sitting nearer to the west win-
window. Those positions were observed to have an adequate dow and facing the north window, the reduction in CS at the
level of CS to promote circadian entrainment. Occupants 7, centre is almost 50%. This percentage reduction will increase
8, 9 and 10 received light from the west- and north-facing as the seating moves towards the farthest point from the win-
windows. These locations were also found to be satisfactory dows. Table 2 indicates the impact of tunable sources on
for meeting circadian criteria. The occupant from 5.484 m CCT variation and energy optimization. Fixing a single CCT
from the west and 3.298 m from the north (position 10) has throughout the day requires more luminaires to meet the uni-
formity and standards in Eh . Previously the observed Ev for
each occupant was higher compared to this case. Daylight

Fig. 9 Layout showing occupant position

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Occupant-1(NE) Occupant-2(SE) Occupant-3(N)

Occupant-4(S) Occupant-5(NW) Occupant-6(SW)
Occupant-7(E) Occupant-8(W) Occupant-9(W)
Occupant-10(E)
VERTICAL ILLUMINANCE (LUX)

2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
10.00 AM
10.30 AM
11.00 AM
11.30 AM
12.00 AM
12.30 AM

2.30 PM

5.00 PM
1.00 PM
1.30 PM
2.00 PM

3.00 PM
3.30 PM
4.00 PM
4.30 PM

5.30 PM
6.00 PM
8.30 AM
9.00 AM
9.30 AM

Fig. 10 Ev at occupant positions (left) and light distribution (right)

Table 1 Lighting conditions

based on the control algorithm CCT Wattage (Watts) Time Dimming (%)

5164 4.783 8.30 am–1.00 pm 10

3776 10.8 1.30 pm 31
3776 10.8 2.00 pm 31.8963
2422 17.65 2.30 pm 45
2422 17.65 3.00 pm 50
2325 35.36 3.30 pm 71.7124
2325 35.36 4.00 pm 81.0436
2325 35.36 4.30 pm 83.1259
3646 35.7 5.00 pm 88
3646 35.7 5.30 pm 90
3646 35.7 6.00 pm 92

incorporation provides more Ev , which helps to increase the 3.3 Real-Time Experimentation in a Test Workbench
CS level. Figure 12 indicates the Ev at each occupant with-
out the intervention of daylight and the light distribution in In this section, experimentation was done in the test work-
the open space. For higher CCT, 5136 K, CS was greater bench with the dimmable and non-tunable lamps and the
than 0.3. In all other CCT variations, CS was lesser than the venetian blinds. Here, three weeks of readings during office
required level. The highest CS was found at occupants 8 and timings, 10 am to 5 pm, were considered under clear sky
3, similar to the previous simulation. conditions. The eye level/vertical illuminance (Ev), horizon-
However, for higher CCT, 5136 K and 3646 K, whenever tal work plane illuminance (Eh), CCT and spectrum of the
Ev is nearly 400 lx, CS was greater than 0.3. It shows a strong light falling at the eye were measured in all orientations. As
correlation between Ev variations rather than CCT devia- per IESNA standards, a sufficient horizontal illuminance of
tions. Designing lighting space only with tunable sources 300–500 lx is required in office spaces. The occupant sits
increases the number of light fixtures compared to the former on all four sides of the work plane for the same experimen-
(with daylight). Integration of daylight with tunable sources tal setup. The illuminance, CCT and spectrum was measured
reduces the number of luminaires and minimizes the energy with a CL-500A spectrophotometer. The circadian metric CS
consumption (KWh/m2 ) compared to the simulation with was evaluated using the excel-based LRC toolbox [38]. The
static sources, providing the required CS. horizontal work plane was considered at the height of 0.8 m
from the floor level, and vertical illuminance was measured

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Fig. 11 Variation in CS and Ev with room depth. N indicates the distance from the north window, and W indicates the distance from the west

at the eye level height of 1.2 m (Fig. 13). Here, the investiga- DL-2, DAL-3 and DALIS-4. Different colour shading shows
tions were done with different lighting scenarios, which were the occupant’s seating position (sitting in the south, west,
previously done by the same authors [39]. The other cases are north or east) looking towards the monitor (Fig. 14). Here,
as follows: only daylight (DL), i.e. blinds open; only artifi- the west side occupant receives the highest CS in all lighting
cial light (AL), i.e. blinds closed; daylight and artificial light schemes because the occupant is facing towards the opened
(DAL), i.e. not controlled, blinds open; and finally, daylight east-oriented window.
and artificial light integrated system (DALIS), controlled. Consequently, more light reaches the eye. However, this
The east-oriented window was set in the controlling condi- position is not preferred to be occupied in a workspace due
tion in this experimentation; the occupant’s facing direction to glare, especially in the afternoon. The north side pro-
was changed to determine the relevance of the test room’s vides minimum CS for circadian entrainment compared with
seating/observer position. The suitability of different light- other seating positions. The DAL scheme gives the highest
ing schemes in the test room was also evaluated based on Ev , Ev and, consequently, the high CS among all the lighting
Ev /Eh , CS and CCT. Ev /Eh gives the vertical and horizontal schemes. Nevertheless, the Ev /Eh was 37.5% lesser than the
illuminance ratio and compares vertical and horizontal light DL scheme. Hence, it indicates the presence of more Eh in
under various lighting conditions. The data were recorded on the DAL scheme. Compared to the DL scheme, there was a
the same day at the exact time. As mentioned in the previous 50% increase in Eh in DAL due to artificial light. In DAL
section, each case of lighting scheme is as follows. AL-1, mode, higher Ev may lead to discomfort glare conditions. In

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Table 2 Ev at each occupant

position using tunable luminaire CCT (K) Ev (lux) Eh (lux) Uo Ev /Eh Ev (lux) Eh (lux) Uo Ev /Eh

Occupant facing north-east (O1) Occupant facing south-east (O2)

2325 296 489 0.81 0.6053 312 489 0.81 0.638
1605 312 503 0.8 0.6203 280 503 0.8 0.5567
5136 364 521 0.83 0.6987 281 521 0.83 0.5393
3646 350 501 0.77 0.6986 270 501 0.77 0.5389
Occupant facing north (O3) Occupant facing south (O4)
2325 341 548 0.97 0.6223 329 548 0.97 0.6004
1605 353 562 0.98 0.6281 293 562 0.98 0.5214
5136 402 576 0.95 0.6979 289 576 0.95 0.5017
3646 401 572 0.95 0.701 287 572 0.95 0.5017
Occupant facing north-west (O5) Occupant facing south-west (O6)
2325 353 540 0.99 0.6537 299 540 0.99 0.5537
1605 328 555 0.94 0.591 340 555 0.94 0.6126
5136 387 577 0.95 0.6707 324 577 0.95 0.5615
3646 379 566 0.93 0.6696 320 566 0.93 0.5654
Occupant facing east (O7) Occupant facing west (O8)
2325 284 439 0.81 0.6469 233 364 0.8 0.6401
1605 341 504 0.91 0.6766 284 415 0.89 0.6843
5136 349 523 0.96 0.6673 433 523 0.96 0.8279
3646 351 527 0.97 0.666 293 436 0.93 0.672
Occupant facing west (O9) Occupant facing east (O10)
2325 255 422 0.93 0.6043 293 522 0.98 0.5613
1605 264 444 0.92 0.5946 314 550 0.99 0.5709
5136 298 454 0.91 0.6564 347 561 0.97 0.6185
3646 288 450 0.91 0.64 329 556 0.97 0.5917

0.45
0.4
0.35
0.3
0.25
CS

0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Occupant

2325 K 1605 K 5136 K 3646 K

Fig. 12 Light distribution (left) and estimated CS with LRC toolbox at each occupant position (right)

the DALIS mode, except the east side, all other sides were 3.4 Real-Time Readings from a Faculty Cabin
suitable for working with minor settings dimming for a mini- with a Commercially available Human-Centric
mum value of CS as 0.3. Under these lighting conditions, the Lighting System (HCL)
Ev /Eh ratio was almost similar to the DL scheme, but Ev was
25% lesser than the latter. Hence, in terms of CS and glare, The readings were taken from 8 am to 5 pm from the cabin
daylight and electrical light’s integrated scheme is closer to room. We measured the vertical and horizontal illuminance,
ideal workspace conditions than other schemes. CCT and spectrum using spectrophotometer (CL-500A), and

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around 11.30 am, and the lowest CCT was about 2826 K
around 3 pm. The CS maintained at noon, which was 0.36,
was large, and 0.28 of CS is also recorded, the smallest value.
The system responds to occupancy, and Ev and CS’s pat-
tern looks similar, indicating the correlation between both
variables. Also, the CCT variation for all days observed is
the same. It suggests that the system is not responding to
actual climate, only tracking the reference curve. Visual com-
fort, thermal comfort and energy savings via effective use of
daylight and circadian entrainment are possible with climate-
responsive controlled daylight and controlled spectrum.

4 Conclusions
Fig. 13 Floor plan of the measurement setup [39]
A few inferences are made using simulations and experimen-
tation to establish a ’good’ lighting environment in daylight
CS values were estimated using LRC Tool. Measurements indoor work areas. This lighting design helps to have no detri-
were taken at the centre point of the work plane. Figure 15 mental effects on human health and comfort and fewer energy
gave the pattern of variation of horizontal illuminance at expenditures. Our inferences and suggestions are as follows:
the centre point of the work plane, vertical illuminance of
the occupant facing east, CCT and estimated CS of com-
mercially available human-centric lighting placed in the test • Preoccupancy and post-occupancy evaluations of daylight
room. Analysis was carried out for different points. Eh, Ev in work areas are necessary to obtain the tenants’ cir-
and CCT are increasing up to 1 pm and then reducing and after cadian effectiveness and visual comfort. Preoccupancy
4 pm, again increasing. As in this case, using four luminaires, evaluation using simulation helps find suitable shading
uniformity was perfect. The CCT maintained was around elements, electrical light sources, seating positions and
3000 K-5000 K. The highest CCT was around 5031 K at viewing directions.

Fig. 14 Average values of

measured CS, CCT, Ev and
Ev/Eh in the test room in various
lighting conditions [39]

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6714 Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering (2023) 48:6703–6716

Fig. 15 Analysis of commercially available human-centric lighting. a Horizontal illuminance (top left); b CCT pattern (top right); c vertical
illuminance at the eye level (bottom left); d estimated CS (bottom right)

• Uncontrolled daylight and higher Ev cause glare sensation at higher CCTs (shorter wavelength content), nearly or
and non-uniformity; manual/automated shading elements greater than 400 lx as Ev is required, this will be very high
reduce visual discomfort and regulate sunlight. A comput- in the case of lower CCTs.
erized system is required to control the shading equipment • During uncontrolled lighting conditions, the vertical eye
based on climatic conditions. illuminance is more than the controlled scheme, leading to
• The integration of venetian blinds for shading does not visual discomfort, where a light source with fixed CCT is
limit the CS in the interior for the circadian entrainment used, providing a uniform colour appearance throughout
of occupants. Incorporating blinds avoids glare and also the day.
provides thermal comfort. An additional light source with • Observation with the commercial HCL system shows that
higher CCT as a supplementary source or tunable with the tunable LED luminaires provide a varying colour
high CCT may give the required CS with less value of Ev. appearance in the ambience, from cool white to warm
• The study shows that the impact of a varying light source white, by maintaining the average illuminance of around
on circadian entrainment is more compared to a fixed light 500 lx without compromising circadian stimulation.
source. A tunable LED luminaire that provides spectrally
varying dimmable light output can eliminate the need for
higher Ev in lower CCT. In lower CCT, the warmness of Sustainable development in buildings incorporated with
light will be more, which is unsuitable during the day- healthy indoor spaces is a multi-objective problem for devel-
time. As per the simulation, to have circadian effectiveness opers and designers. Simulation at the earlier stages of
building design is necessary to evaluate and estimate the

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Funding Open access funding provided by Manipal Academy of
tectural lighting. Light. Res. Technol. 50(4), 497–510 (2018).
Higher Education, Manipal. Authors disclosed the financial support
https://doi.org/10.1177/1477153516682368
of All India Council for Technical Education, Research Promotional
13. Fabio, B.; Chiara, B.; Ornella, L.R.; Laura, B.; Simonetta, F.:
Scheme (AICTE, RPS), File No. 8-T4/FDC/RPS/Policy 1(2019-20) for
Non-visual effects of light: an overview and an Italian expe-
this research work.
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Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons perature on daytime cognitive performance, subjective mood, and
Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adap- alertness in healthy adults. Environ. Behav. 51(2), 199–230 (2019).
tation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916517738077
long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the 15. Truong, W.; Zandi, B.; Trinh, V.Q.; Khanh, T.Q.: circadian metric
source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indi- — computation of circadian stimulus using illuminance, cor-
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in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, Environ. 184, 107146 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.
unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material 2020.107146
is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your 16. Hertog, W.; Llenas, A.; Carreras, J.: Optimizing indoor illumina-
intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the tion quality and energy efficiency using a spectrally tunable lighting
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right holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecomm (2015). https://doi.org/10.1364/oe.23.0a1564
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