The objective of this research is the study of lighting the facades of historic buildings having as an orientation the reduction of dire effects of light pollution on the environment and humans. Lighting is an important way of underlining characteristics of historic buildings, such as beauty and identity, which form part of our cultural heritage. Scientists have outlined the effects of light pollution on the environment and people and therefore the lighting designer should apply efficient lighting design proposals that are environmentally and human friendly, according to the architecture of a building. This research proposes a methodology for calculating the levels of light pollution that are caused by different exterior lighting scenarios for historic buildings.
In our days, the urgent need for minimizing energy consumption, forces governments to take immediate actions in all directions. A review of the existing norms along with a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis has been conducted, with reference to façade and road lighting in the urban structure. This methodology was selected as a tool for outlining energy issues of high importance in these two areas that consist a major component of the total energy consumption in the urban environment and provide helpful insights. This approach shows that there is a wide range of steps that could be followed towards this direction, not only in terms of proposals through the norms, but also through the implementation of the LED technology along with the use of the latest management systems can support the reduction of energy consumption to a large extent.
Light pollution is a phenomenon that affects both humans and the environment negatively. Currently there are no established means to calculate light pollution. This work proposes a method for calculating the levels of light pollution on the facades of buildings, specifically historical buildings, which are the most difficult to light, using simulation techniques. The proposed methodology tested different simulation grid densities and concluded that the highest density produces most accurate results, since lower densities are prone to software errors. Moreover, this research proves that the visual perception of a lit façade is the wrong way to determine if a lighting design produces light pollution and that the comprehensive methodology proposed should be used to determine the percentage of light that spills into the environment.
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