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The lighting of an academic space holds great significance in interior design as well as maintenance and operational budgets.

“Proper lighting has been linked to improved student performance and it can increase alertness and productivity,” said Rick Diehl, business development manager for Osram Sylvania. “By proper lighting I mean higher color rendering versus the old, stark kind of classroom light that is washed of color.”

Proper lighting, according to Diehl, includes more dynamic color rather than the bleak, colorless classroom light used in years past, while also taking advantage of green components offered in modern lighting products.

“Lighting in layers gives you variable levels of ambient lighting but you also are lighting the architectural features and perimeters,” Diehl said.

Osram Sylvania defines the best lighting scenario for educational facilities as one with excellent uniformity, attention to luminance/contrast ratio, lighting well coordinated with architectural design, bright, stimulating color and the incorporation of daylighting with shading.

Daylighting has become a common trend in educational design, Diehl said, which offers a friendly indoor environment with warm light and green features. Daylighting also gives a nod to the design strategies by creating a more sophisticated ambiance and adding to architecturally interesting spaces.

“There is greater use of lighting controls not just to turn lights on and off, but to make greater use of daylight,” Diehl said. “That also has to do with the design of the building itself in that they’re positioned correctly to allow the use of daylight.”

Solid-state lighting and LED lighting are huge trends in university’s that have a commitment to sustainability because of the products’ absence of mercury and long lifetime of the light source, Diehl said.

Other energy-efficient trends of interior lighting that are cost-effective without high expense include automated controls and automated occupancy sensors, according to Diehl.

“When installed in the correct types of spaces [automated occupancy sensors] can yield a very quick payback without a huge investment,” Diehl said.

Simple and inexpensive upgrades in lamping, such as upgrades to the T5 or T8 fluorescent lamp that offer high efficiency electronic ballasts, great color and energy savings, can also be highly cost-effective without breaking the budget.

“They can salvage their existing fixtures and can just replace the components of the fluorescent system and get a very attractive payback,” Diehl said. “And possibly get a rebate from the utility, without a major expense.”

As an example of the many benefits of lamp upgrades, Osram Sylvania produced a case study on the lighting solutions used at three budget conscious Cocke County schools in Newport, Tenn.

By replacing an old fluorescent system of T12 lamps with the energy-efficient T8 lamps, the schools saved $15,151 each year in energy cost savings as well as an additional $15,000 saved in maintenance costs. The new installations will also avert the equivalent of approximately 238,454 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually and provide an added 189,389 kilowatt hours each year.

Utilizing 686 pre-assembled fluorescent retrofit kits, containing Sylvania Octron 800 Ecologic lamps and Quicktronic QHE T8 instant Start Universal Voltage ballasts, from Energy Solutions International, the space was transformed to provide excellent lighting while creating a more resourceful system.

Lighting is also developing to fit the needs of tech-based learning, Diehl said. The lighting of a classroom today now takes into account all technological aspects

“The space needs to be adaptable to various audio visual equipment that is now being used,” Diehl said. “Lighting that has improved color and more dimension and adds to the aesthetics of the space as well as is functional with all the other equipment.”

Amounting for 30 percent of total electric costs, lighting choices that provide the best light for the least amount of energy can serious savings in operating costs.

“Light sources that are being used now, whether its long life fluorescent sources, which now can operate up to 80,000 hours, or a LED source, many of which are 50,000 hour plus, will have a big impact on maintenance costs and replacement costs,” Diehl said.

High sodium lights, which do not provide attractive lighting, or short life lighting sources such as incandescent or halogen are no longer common choices for classroom lighting, Diehl said. However, he added that these lights could still find purpose in educational facilities.

“Those sources still have a use in specific application s where they may be lighting art work or something that is important to the space,” Diehl said. “But for general lighting, those sources aren’t used anymore.”

As education and design evolve, Osram Sylvania will continue to provide educational facilities with innovative lighting solutions to provide the greatest light, for a greater lifetime with a limited environmental impact.
 

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In their market survey New and Retrofit Green Schools: The Cost Benefits and Influence of a Green School on its Occupants, McGraw-Hill Construction found that 89 percent of K-12 schools named enhancing the health and well-being of students as a top reason for constructing, renovating and operating greener schools. In 2007, only 61 percent of K-12 schools acknowledged health as a motive for sustainability.

“Like all other sectors, schools are driven by the goal of saving money and energy,” the study said. “However, this sector is unique among all those studied by McGraw-Hill construction in our series of green SmartMarket Reports because the impact of green buildings on the health and well-being of their students is as important as energy in encouraging new green investments.”

Approximately 78 percent of higher education facilities said health was a main component for green efforts. Ninety-one percent of K-12 respondents and 87 percent of higher education schools said green building made a direct impact on student health and well-being. The study also found that 74 percent of K-12 schools say they have witnessed an increase in student productivity and test scores since taking on green elements while 32 percent of K-12 schools reported a decrease in absenteeism.

McGraw-Hill lists several recommendations for school operators, architects and building product manufactures as part of their study. Along with the suggestion to school operators to hire a sustainability staff, McGraw-Hill also recommends that building product manufacturers emphasize the positive health impacts of their merchandise.

Janice Nolen, assistant vice president of national policy and advocacy at the American Lung Association, participated in a Q&A for the study to highlight the need for focus on indoor air quality.

An effective ventilation system has a tremendous affect on the health of students and staff, she said.

“Good ventilation is the most impactful way to protect lung health in a green school, but reducing and preventing the source of indoor air pollutants is another key area,” Nolen said. “Indoor air pollution such as particulate matter, volatile organic compounds and irritants can originate from various sources indoors such as building equipment, furnishings, flooring and cleaning equipment.”

With this new study, McGraw-Hill hopes to promote effective and positive changes in green school building.

“Because improved health and well-being ranks so highly as a driver for schools, their belief that green buildings have a positive impact on these factors is critical to encourage more green school construction,” the study said.
 

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