Today, we’re deep diving into all things lux, including walking you through Brightgreen.com’s nifty new lux meter that’ll make choosing lux levels easy-peasy.
What is Lux, Anyway?
Ever wondered how we measure the brightness of light in our spaces? It’s all about lux, babyyy.
Lux is the unit of illuminance, measuring luminous flux per unit area. Simply put, lux measures the amount of light falling on a surface. It’s a key concept in photometry, the science of measuring visible light, and is used to quantify the intensity of light as distinguished by the human eye.
Wait. Isn’t There Something Called Lumens, too?
Lux and lumens are often confused for each other, but they measure different aspects of light.
Here’s the shortcut: Lux measures how much light you have on a surface, while lumens tell you the total light emitted by a source (luminous flux). It’s like the difference between the amount of paint on a canvas (lux) and the amount in the paint can (lumens).
The Numbers Game: Making Sense of Lux
One lux is equivalent to one lumen per square metre. This implies that the same amount of light, measured in lumens, will produce different levels of illuminance depending on the area over which it is spread.
All Brightgreen Light (except the long ones) has a name reflecting its lumen output, such as the D700+ which shines ~760 lumens in a warm white at 3000k. This translates to about 760 lux over a single square meter area. Such illumination is optimal for precise tasks.
Brightgreen’s Lux Guide: How to Become a Lux Level Whisperer
Different activities need different levels of light. And lux is at the epicentre of this lighting universe. For example, a restaurant may require a romantic dimness that is only achieved at low lux levels, while a hospital demands brightness for optimal patient care.
It’s all about setting the mood, or in the case of a dentist’s office, setting the dread. But how should you choose the lux levels for your interiors?
Brightgreen’s Lux Level Guide
When it comes to picking lux levels, architects and lighting designers use a nuanced approach, considering both the design of the space as well as the selection of light sources (eg, downlights, surface lights, pendant lights, and more).
It’s a mixture of art and science, but established lux-level recommendations provide a helpful starting point from which to iterate. Here’s our official cheat sheet on how to become a certified lux-level whisperer (read: lux-level recommendations):
Domestic Design Standards
As you know, many countries have codes and standards that regulate their domestic design industry, including lux requirements for lighting design. When working out your lux requirements, you’ll need to consult the standards in your country alongside our recommended lux levels.
In Australia, the relevant standard is AS/NZS1680. Here’s a snippet:
Brightgreen’s Lux Meter Design Tool: Making Lux Calculus Easy Peasy
Remember, lux is about the amount of light falling on a surface. So, not only will lux levels change based on the lumens of a fixture, they can shift due to beam angles, a luminaire’s distance from the surface, and the number of LEDs.
In short, a room’s geometry will dramatically change the lux levels achieved by a light source. For the nerds, lux levels in a space can be calculated using a formula that accounts for the lumens value from the light source, the utilisation factor (reflecting room characteristics), and the maintenance factor (allowing for light depreciation over time).
Now, we’ve made these calculations easier by incorporating a lux meter tool directly on our website. By clicking the toggle and playing with the ceiling height slider, you can get updated lux information for a specific product and ceiling height.
Living the Lux Life
It’s official. You’ve graduated from Brightgreen’s School of Lighting Whisperers, and are now officially an expert in all things lux. Unfortunately, we’re unable to provide you with a testamur, but we’ve heard good things about making certificates on Microsoft Paint.
Anyhoo, if you’d prefer to live the lux life, rather than engage in lux calculus, get in touch with us to talk about lighting designs and light beams.
