Lighting Design How to calculate the LUX level in a Room 25th April 2014 saving 20 Comments Basis of LUX and Lumens Lux: The amount of light that is cast on a surface is called illuminance, which is measured in lux. This can be thought of as light intensity within a specific area. Lumens: The total output of visible light from a light source is measured in lumens. Typically, the more lumens a light fixture provides, the brighter it is. Although 1 lumen will theoretically produce 1 LUX of light over an area of 1 square metre this is only in the perfect world as there are other factors to consider. For instance the decor and colouring in the space will undoubtedly result in some loss of light unless the room has perfectly reflecting mirrored walls. The Calculation of LUX level in a room The LUX level in a room is calculated from the following formula E(LUX) = F(lm) x UF x MF / A Where E is the the LUX level achieved F is the average lumens value form the light source UF is the utilisation factor for the space which takes into account the colouring of the surfaces in the space together with the geometry MF is the maintenance factor for the lamp which allows for a level of light depreciation over time. It is clear to see from this formula that the light level experienced is reduced by the 2 factors which are the maintenance factor of the lamp and the utilisation factor of the space. Clearly these values are situation dependent but typical values for these would be 0.4 for the utilisation factor and 0.9 for the maintenance factor. This means that in a real situation you would achieve typically 35% of the light level that could theoretically be achieved in an optically perfect space. What LUX levels are needed in a Room? The level of LUX needed in a space is obviously subjective but here are some examples to provide some indication of what is needed. Areas for relaxation for instance lounge or TV rooms would typically have 120 LUX. For an area which where it is necessary to read in it would be advisable to increase this to 200LUX. A domestic office environment of office for occasional use could be illuminated to a level of 250 LUX. It would be advisable to illuminate a commercial office area to a level of 400-500 LUX but where the majority of work is computer based a lower level is acceptable. For a retail environment where people are purchasing goods then a level of around 500 LUX is typically used. In a work shop area or area where detail work is undertaken then a LUX level of between 500 and 700 is desirable. Within an operating theatre in a hospital a LUX level or around 1000 would typically be used. Recommended Lux Levels by Application and Age: Application Recommended Lux Age 25-65 Recommended Lux Age 65+ Warehouse 100 200 Work area 150 300 General assembly 1,000 2,000 Detailed assembly 2,000 4,000 Fine inspection 5,000 10,000 Recommended lux levels for general work conditions. Source: IES Handbook. Calculation of how many lights are needed in a room? Simply by turning the formula around it is possible to work out how many lights are needed for a room. This is particularly useful when working our how many spot lights or ceiling lights are needed in a space. N = Ex A/(FxUFxMF) So be example for a large space which is 10x 10m with 700 lumens ceiling lights , taking a maintenance factor of 0.9 and a utilisation factor of 0.7 then 45 lights would be needed to provide a LUX level of 200. For a Kitchen which is 5 x 3 metre and using downlighters which produce 430 lumens output then for 180LUX you would need 10 downlighters taking the same factors as before. Use this lighting calculator to find out number of bulbs required for your specific need: Number of Lights Required CLICK HERE TO BUY HIGH POWER LED DOWNLIGHTERS I do hope that helps, but if you have any questions please feel free to get in touch with us at SLB for some advise. CONTACT US
The maintenance factor is now much light depreciation the lamp suffers. If you assume a figure or 0.8 this means that it allows for a loss of 20% which is reasonable for a good LED over a 5 year period. This is not calculated data but data which the LED supplier should be able to provide. The UF would be 1 for mirrored walls and 0 for mat black no-reflective walls so typically for light coloured walls with some furniture and pictures the 0.4 would be a good guesstimation. This formula is a dead reckoning tool which gives a reasonable answer but if you need to be more precise then it is best to use light simulation software. Hope that helps. Paul SLB Reply
I am trying to calculate how many LED lights and what type to best illuminate my workshop at night to between 500 & 700 Lux. Would you be able to give me any advice on this please? My tent/workshop is 6m x 12m with a height of 4m approx. Matt Reply
I need to achieve a lux of 800 to 1000 for a showroom, iam going to use metal halide of 70 and 150 watts, height of ceiling is 4 Metre, pls advice on the number of lamps to be used.. Reply
i need to achieve a lux of 450 to 550 for a laboratory. i am going to use the LED lamps 20Watts, heights of the ceiling is 3mtrs. pls advice the how to calculate the no of lights accordingly to room size.. Reply
Hi there the best way is to simulate it with a programme like Dialux. The light level you achieve will also depend on the reflexivity of the ceiling and walls. Reply
I found the best way to calculate the LUX level here. Excellent work. Thanks for sharing such an useful formula. Reply
I need to calculate how many lamps (36 watt) needed for a cold-room with 200 lux lighting? The area is 5m*3m and the height is 2m. I would be pleased if someone tell me what is the relation between surface area and height in calculating lux. Reply
Hi there this would require a Dialux simulation to work out accurately. If you need this we could do but would need to charge. If you want a rough approximation then space them at about 120cm spacing , assuming these are 36 watt halogens. Reply
nicely understood about the No. of fixture calculation .kindly confirm how to rule out the desired Lux wrt 1)At Desired Ceiling Height–9ft 2)Desired Lux-Not less than 350 at 30“ from Ground Level 3) size of Fixture. 4) Inactual inplace of 36watts CFL what would be the wattage of LED actually Equivalent . Reply
In order to do a complex calculation light this you need a simulation package like Dialux. We could do the calculation for you but would need to charge. Regards Paul Reply
pole height 8mtr, bridge total width 16.6 mtr pole installed center berg (8Mtr), pole to pole distance 23mtr, required 30lux how many watt led light fixture required? Reply
HI there this calulation really needs a simulation with Dialux or simlilar. We could do this but would need to charge Regards Paul Reply
hi. Should I include objects in lux calculation for a factory shed salon with respect to the IEC standard? for example for a bus montage salon. its obvious that if i design the lux number for a bare salon, it will descend after positioning machines and buses. Reply
How can we know .. that how much lux re quired for different buildings .. for offices ? For hotel For restaurant For kitchen for bathroom ? Reply
I’m physicist and prefer this formula: Lumens=Lux×A×{(1/k)-(0.5×A/S)} ; where: Lumens=represents total amount of light, Lux=represents the illumination of an area accordingly, A= all surfaces catched by direct light from our lamps , k= reflection of walls and furnitures , S= total surface of the room/office/shop. Reply
Wow! Very informative and impressive lines. Good Lighting is very important for any home. Low voltage landscape lighting enhanced the appearance, safety and security of my home. Reply
