Chapter two

Illumination
 Illumination
• Illumination refers to the provision of sufficient light
by natural means (i.e. sunlight) or artificial light
sources (i.e. electric lamps).
• Light is in general an electromagnetic similar to other
radiations such as radio waves, X-rays, etc.
• We can classify EM waves as visible and invisible
waves.
• Visible Waves: day light, radiation from candles
and lamps
• Invisible Waves: X-rays, radio waves, etc.
1. Lumen – is the unit of light energy. It is a measure of the total amount of visible
light emitted by a source. An SI unit of luminous flux.

2. LUMINAIRE (light fitting)- It is the whole unit enclosing lamps, control gear,
reflectors, diffusers etc.

3. Solid angle (W)- is the angle seen from the center of a sphere corresponding to given
area on the surface of that sphere. The value of the solid angle is numerically equal to
the size of that surface area divided by the square of the radius of the sphere.
• Its unit is steradian.
• A sphere has total of 2π steradian,
because the surface area of a
sphere is 2πR2 i.e

Where R is radius of the sphere.

 Lighting terminologies and law
1. Lumen – is the unit of light energy. It is a measure of the total amount of visible
light emitted by a source. An SI unit of luminous flux.

2. LUMINAIRE (light fitting)- It is the whole unit enclosing lamps, control gear,
reflectors, diffusers etc.

3. Solid angle (W)- is the angle seen from the center of a sphere corresponding to given
area on the surface of that sphere. The value of the solid angle is numerically equal to
the size of that surface area divided by the square of the radius of the sphere.
• Its unit is steradian.
• A sphere has total of 2π steradian,
because the surface area of a
sphere is 2πR2 i.e

Where R is radius of the sphere.

 Lighting terminologies and law
4. Luminous flux (F)- is the time rate of flow of light.
• It is the time rate of flow of light radiation or the amount of light emitted per second
by a light source
• It is quantity measured by the power of radiation, which is evaluated by the luminous
sensation.
• Note that the radiated power must be factored by the sensitivity of the human eye to
determine luminous flux.
1 lumen = 0.0016 watt (approx.)
• Its unit is lumens.
• We can talk of total luminous flux of a source. Example:
Incandescent lamp-10-15 lm/watt
Discharge lamp –about 40-70lm/watt.
LED technology typically produces 75-110 lumens/watt.
• LEDs are generally about 7 times more efficient at producing light than
incandescent bulbs.
5. Luminous intensity (I)-Luminous intensity of a source is luminous flux per unit
solid angle in a given direction.
• It gives a light giving power of a source in a given direction
• Its unit is candela (C, Cl).

For a point source emitting light equally in all direction luminous intensity remains the same
independently of the distance from the source
 Lighting terminologies and law
6. Illumination or illuminance (E) – The amount of light energy per square meter
(lumen/sq.M = lux) 1 lux =1 lumen/m2.
• Illumination of a surface is the luminous flux incident to the surface per unit area..
It is luminous flux density.
• LUX - The SI unit of illuminance.

7. Brightness or luminance (B, L)

• Brightness or luminance of an object is the luminous intensity in a given direction
divided by the area of the object surface perpendicular to that direction.
• Brightness is also known as luminance.
• Luminance or brightness is the amount of light reflected from or transmitted through
an object at a specific angle (expressed in candela per square meter).
• It is usually associated with light sources and glossy surfaces.
8. Luminous efficacy (η)
• Luminous efficacy of a light source is the ratio of its luminous flux output in lumens
to it’s power input in Watts.
• Its unit is lumens per watt.
• Incandescent and fluorescent lamps’ efficacy generally increase with their rating
increase.
 …..

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 …..
10. Reflectance

• Reflectance or reflection factor of a surface is ratio of lumens reflected from the

surface to lumens incident to the surface.
• Reflectance of 0.2 to 0.5 is recommended on work benches and desk tops.
• Reflectance of walls and ceilings are also important in the design of illumination or
lighting.

11. Utilization factor

• Utilization factor is a used in the design of lighting system and is the ratio of light
in lumens reaching the area to be illuminated to the light produced by the light
sources in lumens.

12. Maintenance factor

• Maintenance factor is a factor used to account for the reduction in luminous flux
output of a lamp as it ages and the dirt accumulated on the luminaire, walls, ceilings,
etc.

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 …..
13. General lighting

• Lighting designed to illuminate an area without

provision for special local requirements.
• The design of general lighting is to minimize
lighting gradient as small as possible.

14. Local lighting

• Local lighting is lighting to increase the

illumination at certain specified position like
working areas.
• It is additional lighting to the general
lighting.

15. Localized Lighting

• Localized lighting is lighting system

designed to illuminate an area and at the
same time to provide higher illumination
over part of the area.
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 Laws of Illuminations
1. Inverse square law
• Ideal Sources: Light sources can be assumed to be a point, line
or surface. Incandescent lamps and high intensity discharge
lamps are generally considered as point sources.
• These are only approximations as practical sources have some
dimension. The approximations depend on the distance of the
light source from the area receiving light.
• As the distance between the light source and the area increases
fluorescent lamps can also be considered as a point source
during design.
• General rule of thumb is that a source can be considered as a
point source for a distance of 5 to 10 times the length of the
fluorescent tube or luminaire housing many fluorescent lamps.
 …….
• Point source: Ideal point source emits light equally in all directions.
Therefore; the luminous intensity is equal at any angle on equal radius from
the point source.
• As a surface that is illuminated by light source moves away from the light
source, the surface appear dimmer. In fact, it becomes dimmer much faster
than it moves away from the source.
• For a point source the illumination from a point source is inversely
proportional to the square of the distance from the point source and directly
proportional to the luminous intensity of the source.

Where:
• En (in lumens) is the illumination on the surface
normal to the light ray.
• R is distance between the source and the surface
(meters), and
• I is the luminous intensity of the lamp in
candela.
• This relation is called inverse square law.
…….
 1.3 Determining number of luminaries of a room

To determine number of lamps, we should have to know the

following important information
1. Type of a room.
2. Length and width of a room.
3. Color of ceiling and wall
4. Type or lumen of a lamp and its condition.
5. Mounting height of a lamp.
 2. Lambert’s Cosine Law
• Lambert’s cosine low states that the illumination falling on any surface
depends on the cosine of the light’s angle of incidence . i.e Illumination on
the surface not normal to the light ray is proportional to the cosine of the
incident light.

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 Contd…
• The illumination on a surface at a distance R from a point source is given by
the following equation

• The combined law of cosine and inverse square law results in the following for a
illumination level on a surface from a point source.

Where E is illumination at the point on the surface, I is luminous intensity of the source
in the direction of the point, and i is the incident angle.
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 Contd…
• The illumination on a surface at a distance R from a point source is given by
the following equation

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 Contd…

Thus the illumination depends not only on the perpendicular distance from the light source
but also on the angle that the light falls on the area to be illuminated.

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 Examples
1. If a lamp producing luminous intensity 1500 candela in all directions
below the horizontal is suspended 4m above the floor. Calculate the
illuminance produced at a point P immediately below the lamp.

2. If the lamp of example one were to be raised by 1m, what would be the new
illuminance at P?

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 Examples
3. For the same conditions in example one calculate the
illuminance at point Q 2.5m away from P in a horizontal line.
Given: I = 1500 cd; x = 2.5m; d = 4m
Required: E?

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 Light type, source and schem
1. Types of Lighting
Ambient Lighting
General illumination in a space.

•
• Task Lighting
Focused light for specific activities
(e.g., reading, cooking, assembly work).

Accent Lighting
Highlights architectural
elements or decorations.

Emergency Lighting
Used in case of power failure.
 2. Electric Light sources
• Electric light sources are devices that convert electrical energy into visible
light.
• Light is produced by ionization of gas and
excitation of atoms.
Gas 1. Low Pressure Discharge Lamps
discharge • Fluorescent lamps (tube lights)
• Low pressure sodium (LPS) lamps
2. High Pressure Discharge Lamps
• High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps
• Mercury vapor lamps
Electric lamp • Metal halide lamps
classification
based on
light
generation Solid • Light is produced by
Incandescent State
lamps Lamps semiconductors.
(SSL). • Eg. LEDs
• Light is produced by heating a filament (usually
tungsten) until it glows

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 2. Electric Light sources
Filament Lamps
– tungsten
filament.

Chip-based Based on Tubular Lamps –

Lamps – LED Construction fluorescent
lamps. tubes.

Compact Lamps
Modern Grouping – CFL (compact
fluorescent
lamp).
Conventional Lamps:
Incandescent, Energy Efficient
Halogen, Fluorescent, Lamps: CFL, LED.
HID

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 2. Electric Light sources
1.2.1 Filament type lamps
[Link] Incandescent Lamp
• The incandescent lamp is invented in the 1800’s by Thomas Edison and is
widely used today in nearly everybody's home in Ethiopia though it was
banned in Europe recently.

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 ……
• Electric light sources are devices that convert electrical energy into visible
light.
• There are two types of electric light sources depending on the principle of
energy conversion, filament type, electric discharge types and LEDs that
emit light through a semiconductor.
• The filament types can further be divided as incandescent lamps and
halogen lamps. Furthermore; Electric discharge lamps are classified as
mercury vapour lamps and sodium vapour lamps, halide lamps,
fluorescent lamps, etc.
1.2.1 Filament type lamps
[Link] Incandescent Lamp
• The incandescent lamp is invented in the 1800’s by Thomas Edison and is
widely used today in nearly everybody's home in Ethiopia though it was
banned in Europe recently.

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 Incandescent lamp
• The incandescent lamp has three main parts:

A. The filament
B. The bulb
C. The base and

• The filament is the high temperature melting wire inside the bulb. When
electricity runs through the filament, it heats it to a high temperature due to the
I2R power dissipated on the filament. The high temperature causes the filament
to give light. Tungsten with melting temperature of 36550C is commonly used as
filament.
• Tungsten emits visible light in a process called incandescence. Tungsten also
emits a whiter light more than other metals.

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 Continued…
• The bulb is the clear "shell" around the filament. Its purpose is to keep air
away from the filament so that it doesn't burn (oxidize with oxygen in the
air). The bulb is filled with mixture of gasses (nitrogen and other small
amount of inert gases like argon) to increase the pressure inside to
decrease the evaporation rate of tungsten.
• The reduction in evaporation rate of the filament:
• Increases results in longer lifetime of the lamp.
• Prevents the electricity from jumping or shorting.
• The third part, the base of the lamp, is simply what holds the filament and
bulb in place and help external electric connection to the filament. In other
words it provides both mechanical attachment and electrical connection.
• The incandescent bulbs are typically inefficient, converting only about
10% of the energy into light while transforming the rest into heat.

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 Continued…
• Common available incandescent lamp have an average lives of 750 to
2000 hours.
• The lamp wattage indicates the amount of power consumed by the lamp.
• Lamps with higher wattage usually burn brighter. 100 Watt lamp will burn
brighter than a 50 Watt lamp. However; the output may not be linearly
related to the wattage.
• Efficacy of incandescent lamp is very low when compared to other
artificial light sources to be presented below. It varies between 8 lum/W
and 20 lum/W as shown in the table.

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 Continued…
[Link] Halogen Lamps
• In these lamps light is produced by ionization of gas and excitation of atoms.
• Unlike incandescent lamps, halogen lamp uses iodine or bromine or sometimes
mixture of both gas to produce what is called a “halogen cycle” inside the lamp.
• In the halogen cycle, halogen gas combines with the tungsten that evaporates from
the lamp filament, eventually re-depositing the tungsten on the filament instead of
allowing it to accumulate on the bulb wall as it does in standard incandescent lamp.
• The quartz envelope is so close to the filament and the filament becomes about
four times hotter than a standard incandescent lamp resulting in more light per unit
of energy.
• The inside of the bulb remains free of deposits and clean through the lamp life. The
technique increases the efficiency of the halogen lamps 12 to 24 lumens/Watt. The
life of such lamps also extends 2000 to 4000 hours.
• As the result of high temperature halogen lamps produce ultraviolet (UV) and
infrared (IR) energies than conventional incandescent lamps. Bulb coatings are
usually used to filter the UV and reflect the IR back on to the filament improving
the efficiency.

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 Cntd….
1.2.2 Electric Discharge Lamps
[Link] Fluorescent Lamps (Low-pressure Mercury vapor lamps)

• A fluorescent lamp is electric discharge type lamp. It consists of a sealed

glass tube with two electrodes at its two ends. The tube contains a small
amount of mercury and an inert gas, like argon, kept under very low
pressure. Electrons are accelerated between the two electrodes striking and
ionizing mercury vapor.
• Ionized mercury emits light and UV radiation. A fluorescing coating on the
glass—called phosphor powder—transforms some of the UV energy
generated into light
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 Cntd….
• Fluorescent lamps can be preheated, rapid start or instant start. The preheated
lamps are usually for fluorescent lamp with less than 30W.
• In pre-heated florescent lamps electrodes are heated during starting but not during
operation. This makes them more efficient.
• Voltage spikes may result during starting and cause stress on the lamp resulting on
shorter life.
• The auxiliary equipment associated with the preheated florescent lamp includes;
the choke to supply high starting voltage and also limits the current during
operation, the starter, the capacitor to improve or correct power factor
deterioration as the result of the choke.
• Rapid start fluorescent lamps are most common, provides smooth starting, longer
life and dimming capabilities.
• Electrodes are heated prior to and during operation. This makes rapid-start lamps
less efficient than preheat and instant start.
• Rapid start lamps generally have longer life than preheat. Instant start fluorescent
lamps use high voltage for starting than preheating the electrodes.
• They have the highest efficiency but shortest life. They are not good choice if the
application requires frequent ON/OFF operations.
• In general fluorescent tubes are divide into three color-rendering categories;
standard tubes with color rendering index less than 80, Tri-phosphorescent tubes
with color rendering greater than 80 and special tri-phosphorescent lamps of color
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3. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDS)

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 3. LED Lamps
• LEDs are solid-state semiconductor devices that convert electric energy
directly into light.
• LEDs can be extremely small and durable; Some LEDs can provide much
longer lamp life than other sources.

• LEDs can generate red,yellow,green,blue or white light, have a life upto

100,000 hours and are widely used in traffic signals and for decoration
purposes.
• White light LEDs are a recent advantage and may have a great potential
market for some general lighting applications.
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 ……
1. Using Energy efficient lighting.
LED lamps.
Type of Bulb Watts Lumens Luminosity
Tungsten 60W 700 to 850 lm 8 to 10 lm/w
Halogen 42W 700 to 850 lm 12 to 15 lm/w
CFL 12W 700 to 850 lm 30 to 60 lm/w
LED 10W 700 to 850 lm 40 to 90 lm/w
Advantages of LED Bulbs:
• LED bulbs have 10 times longer life in comparison to fluorescent and incandescent
lights.
• LED bulbs does not contain filament so there is less chance of damage.
• Common incandescent bulb become hot and generate lot of heat in the room while LED
bulb prevents the heat build-up and helps in reducing the air conditioning cost in room.
• As power consumption of LED lamp is very less, use in solar panels is increasing.
• Initial cost of LED bulb is more in comparison to fluorescent bulb with they have long
life and they can be easily move from one place to another without breakage and save
electricity also.
• LED bulbs are not sensitive to temperature or humidity.
• LED bulb does not contain mercury also hence do not provide harm to environment also.
3. Lighting Scheme
Lighting Schem
2. Semi-Direct lighting
3. Indirect lighting

Glare is a visual phenomenon caused by an excessive contrast

between bright and dark areas in the field of vision, often
resulting in discomfort and impaired visibility.
4. Semi-Indirect lighting
5. General Lighting (diffusing)

In this scheme, a translucent glass filling surroundings the lamp totally.

 2.5 Lighting design and calculation
• Lighting design procedure can be seen as having three steps.
1. Assessing the illumination level required for the task.
2. Selection of luminare type based on light quality, architecture
of building, economics, etc.
3. Making calculations to determine the number of luminaries
required for the area to be illuminated and their distribution in
the space.
• Once the luminaire is selected the number of luminaries
required to get the illumination level desired is determined by
calculations.
• There are two methods of lighting calculation:
1. Point by point method and
2. Lumens method.
 2.5 Lighting Design and Calculation

• To determine number of lamps, we should have to know the

following important information
1. Type of a room.
2. Length and width of a room.
3. Color of ceiling and wall
4. Type or lumen of a lamp and its condition.
5. Mounting height of a lamp.
 2.5 Lighting Design and Calculation
• The recommended lux levels for various types of rooms are as follows:
• Illumination level of some rooms. (EBCS – 10)
Continued…
 1. Point by point method
• Illumination design for exterior lighting and localized lightings
are generally done using point by point method.
• In the point by point method selected points’ illumination is
calculated from the total illuminated area.
Example:
• Lighting posts are used to illuminate a horizontal road in a city.
The Fixture is at the height of 8 meters on the post. Determine
the distance between the poles to have minimum illumination
level of 10 lux between the posts. The fixtures have 10,000
candelas in lower half sphere.
 1. Point by point method
Solution
• The illumination from the two adjacent lighting posts is
considered, neglecting the effect of the others.
• The surface is further assumed horizontal. Therefore; incident
angle, illumination contribution from each post are assumed to
be similar. It can be shown that the equation of
illumination level from one of the luminaries
is given by

• Given: E= 5 lux (contribution of one

luminaire), h=8 m, and I= 10,000 candela
Results in D=20 meters.
• The incident angle is cos-1 (8/20)=66.40.
• Distance between one pole and the middle
Fig. Two point sources illuminating a surface of the two poles is given by
8tan(66.4)=18.33 meters. i.e the distance
between the poles is 36.66 meters
maximum.
 2. Lumens method.
• The lumens method is generally used for uniform general lighting
design.
• It is based on recommended illumination levels by relevant
government organ or professional society.
• The lumen method (or lumen design method) is a standardized
procedure used in lighting design to calculate the number of light
fixtures required to achieve a desired level of illuminance (measured
in lux or foot-candles) in a given space.
• Lighting level is normally specified for working plane which is
usually 0.8 to 0.85 meters above floor.

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 Steps followed to use lumens method of
illumination design
1. Determine the utilization factor (UF).
• Utilization Factor (UF) is a term used in lighting design to describe
the efficiency with which the lighting system delivers light to the
work plane or the area that needs to be illuminated.
• It is a measure of how effectively the light emitted from the
luminaire is distributed and used within the room or space, taking
into account various factors like reflectance, room geometry and
fixture efficiency.

• The light flux reaching at the working plane is always less than the lumen output of the
lamp due to some of the light is absorbed by the various surface textures.
• Therefore, the UF is expressed as a number which is always less than unity
 Factors Influencing Utilization Factor (UF)
1. Room Geometry
• The shape, size, and height of the room affect how light is distributed.
• High ceilings or large rooms may reduce the UF as light is dispersed over a larger
area.
2. Surface Reflectance
• The reflective surfaces in the room, such as walls, ceilings, and floors, influence how
much light is reflected and redirected towards the work plane.
• Light-colored surfaces reflect more light, increasing the UF.
• Dark-colored surfaces absorb more light, decreasing the UF.
3. Luminaire Characteristics
• The type of luminaire (e.g., direct, indirect, or diffuse lighting) and its efficiency in
delivering light to the working area directly affect the UF.
4. Lamp Maintenance Factor
• Over time, lamps lose brightness due to dirt accumulation, age, and other factors,
reducing the luminous flux they emit, which in turn lowers the UF.
5. Spacing Between Luminaires
• The distance between fixtures and their positioning can impact light uniformity and
how effectively the light covers the work area.
Room Surface Reflectance or the reflection factor

• This means the light reflected from ceilings, walls and floors
depends on the colours, type of floor and ceilings.
• To determine the utilization factor from the luminaire data sheet it
is necessary to know the average room surface reflectance.
• The ceiling is normally considered to be light in colour and an
average value of 70% (or 0.7) of light décor, 50% (or 0.5) for
moderate decor and 30% (or 0.3) for dark décor.
• The wall is normally considered to be moderate in colour and an
average value of 50% (or 0.5) of light décor, 30% (or 0.3) for
moderate decor and 10% (or 0.1) for dark décor.
Ceiling and Wall Reflectance factor
 Room Index (RI) or K
• To determine Utilization Factor of the room we should have to
calculate Room Index, RI or k.
• RI is ratio, describing how the room’s height compares to its
length and width i.e It takes account of room proportions and
height of the luminary above the working plane.
a) For direct, semi-direct, direct-indirect and general diffuse
luminaries
L∗W
RI (k) = Where L – Length of the room(m),
Hm(L+W)
W – Width of the room(m)
Hm – Mounting height (m)
It is used to determine the Utilization factor. (Table below)
Utilization Factor of the Room (UF) (For
uniform emitting rays in all directions).
 Room Index (RI) or K
b) For semi-indirect and indirect luminaries
𝟑∗𝑳∗𝑾
𝐑𝐈 (𝐤) =
𝟐 ∗ 𝐂𝐇(𝐋 + 𝐖)

Where L – Length of the room(m),

W – Width of the room(m)
CH – ceiling height above the working place(m)

• The Room Index typically ranges between 0.75 and 5,

depending on the room’s proportions.
 Steps followed to use lumens method of
illumination design
2. Determine Maintenance Factor (MF)
• Maintenance factor refers to the reduction in luminous flux
output of the luminaire as a result of lamp age, dirt on the
luminaries, walls, ceilings, etc.
• It may be defined as “the ratio of illumination under normal working
condition to the illumination when everything is clean or new”.
• Its value is always less than 1, and it will be around 0.8. This is due to the
accumulation of dust, dirt, and smoke on the lamps that emit less light than
that they emit when they are so clean.
• Frequent cleaning of lamp will improve the maintenance factor.

𝐼𝑙𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠

M.F =
𝐼𝑙𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑛
 ……
• The maintenance factor is based on how often the lights are cleaned and
replaced.
• Industrial areas may have smaller MF than offices or classrooms because of
possible accumulation of dirt on the luminaire, walls, and ceilings.
• MF in average varies from 0.5 to 0.8. Recommended values for particular
application can be obtained on standard tables and luminaire manufacturer
datasheets.
• For convenience, it is usually given as three options:
Enclosed fixture, clean room, Good = 0.9
Average conditions, Medium = 0.8
Open fixture or dirty room, Poor = 0.7
• Sometimes Depreciation Factor (DF) will be given instead of MF.
• It is defined as the ratio of initial illumination to the ultimate maintained
illumination on the working plane. Its values is always more than 1.
1
D.F =
𝑀𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟
 Steps followed to use lumens method of
illumination design
3. Determine the number of luminaries required for the space
from the following equation.

𝑬𝒙𝑨
𝑵=
𝐅𝐱𝐌𝐅𝐱𝐔𝐅
Where: E is illumination level required in lux,
A is total area of the room,
F is luminous flux generated by a luminaire (NB: the luminaire can have more than one lamp)
MF is maintenance factor and UF is utilization factor.
• This number can be re-adjusted based on the maximum space between luminaries.
4. Distribute the luminaire uniformly for minimum lighting
gradient on the working area of the space.
• In the lighting distribution an important point to be checked is the maximum distance
possible between luminaries which are given by manufacturers of the luminaire
 Luminaire Distribution for general lighting
(uniform light distribution)
• Rules of thumb for luminaire distribution for
uniform illumination over the horizontal
surface are such that the distance between
luminaries is two to three times the distance
between luminaire and wall.
• It is also assumed that the distance between the
outside row and the wall, and between the end
lamp and the end wall, is half the spacing
distance.
• The maximum distance between luminaries are
determined by the mounting height and
spacing ratio of the luminaire.
• Spacing ratios of luminaries are given by
luminaire manufacturers based on the beam
speared.
 Luminaire Distribution for general lighting
(uniform light distribution)
• Maximum spacing S is given by:

S = SR × MH

Where: SR is spacing ratio

MH is mounting height

• Experienced designers can estimate utilization factor and

maintenance factor from their experience with out going through
the calculation for RI. Lighting design is generally simplified with
experience.
Spacing-to-Mounting Height Ratio (S/MH) in
Illumination Design
• The Spacing-to-Mounting Height (S/MH) ratio is a key
factor in lighting design that helps determine the appropriate
distance between luminaires (lighting fixtures) for uniform
illumination.

• Spacing (S): The horizontal distance between two adjacent light fixtures.
• Mounting Height (MH): The vertical height of the fixture above the illuminated surface.
Why is S/MH Important?
• It ensures uniformity of light distribution and minimizes dark spots or overlapping
excessive brightness.
• Helps in optimizing the number of fixtures required for a given area.
• It is used in both indoor lighting (offices, warehouses, etc.) and outdoor lighting
(streetlights, parking lots, etc.).
Requirement of number of sockets out lets
typical residential rooms.
LIGHTING DESIGN BY LAMP LUMEN METHOD
Steps - LAMP LUMEN METHOD
1. Find required lux level
2. Select luminaire
3. Determine room index
4. Determine number of fixtures
5. Determine Minimum spacing between luminaire
Where, Hm= Mounting height, SHR = Space to height
S = SHR * Hm ratio.
6. Determine Number of required rows of luminaire along room

7. Determine Number of luminaire in each row

8. Axial spacing along luminaire

9. Transverse spacing between luminaire

LIGHTING DESIGN BY LAMP LUMEN METHOD
Steps - LAMP LUMEN METHOD
Axial Spacing:
• It is the distance between adjacent light fixtures along the main axis
of the layout.
• This is usually measured in the direction of the primary lighting
row (e.g., along a hallway or a street).
• It influences the uniformity of illumination and should be optimized
to avoid dark spots or excessive overlap of light.
Transverse Spacing:
• It is the distance between adjacent lighting rows in the perpendicular
direction to the axial spacing.
• This is measured across the width of the illuminated area (e.g.,
across a room, parking lot, or roadway).
• Proper transverse spacing ensures even lighting coverage and avoids
excessive shadows.
Example 1
A certain class room has length of 20m, width=10m,height=3m.
1. Ceiling to desk height is 2m.
2. Area to be illuminated to a general is 250 lux using twin lamp 32
watt CFL Luminaire with a SHR of 1.25.
3. Each lamp has an initial output of 85 lumen per watt.
4. Maintenance factor is 0.63, Utilization factor is 0.69
Design a lighting system for this office
Example 2
You were approached by a businessman to design an effective lighting system
for his living room having the following features:
- Living room size: 5m X 3.8m.
- Required luminance level: 100 lux.
- The wall is painted with pink and the roof colour is white.
- Lamp type: 60 W incandescent lamp which has 750 lumen.
- Mounting height is 2.2m
- The maintenance factor is 0.8.

A. Determine the number of lamps required for the room and show their
location.
B. Determine number of SOL and show their location.
C. Locate the required switches on the appropriate places.
D. Show the single line diagram or design the installation.
E. Locate and show breaker distribution of SDB on the appropriate places.
 Assignment 1
A lecture hall has dimension 30x12x3m. The lamp is
mounted at 0.2m from the ceiling. Area to be illuminated to a
general is 300 lux using twin lamp 36 watt CFL Luminaire
with a SHR of 1.13. Each lamp has an initial output of 39.58
lumen per watt. The wall is painted with green and the roof
color is white. Maintenance factor is 0.80.
a. Determine the number of lamps required for the room and
show their location;
b. Determine number of SOL and show their location
c. Locate the required switches on the appropriate places.
d. Show the single line diagram or design the installation.
e. Locate and show breaker distribution of SDB on the
appropriate places.
 Design of BEI in residential, commercial,
and industrial buildings
• From various criteria's for electrical installation classification, the most
common one is by application, such as:

Residential

Commercial

Industrial
1.4 BEI design of Residential Building.
• Residential electrical installation includes: all the electrical wiring and
equipment installed in a private dwelling, such as a single-family home
or an apartment.
• It usually consists of a main service panel, branch circuits, socket
outlets, bell circuit, telephone line, TV line, Water heater, Stove, Air
conditioner, Freezer, Washing machine, lighting fixtures and…..etc
• Power socket outlets will supply from individual ACB and cable
• On the plans, locate all electrical equipment such as switches, lamps,
KWHM, MDB, SOL, bell push buttons, tele outlets, TV outlets, Stove,
fire and smoke detectors, and so on the appropriate and convinient
places.
• A residential electrical installation can be a single-phase or three-phase
electrical installation.
 General Design Principles
• When designing electrical installations for residential buildings, the following
principles apply:
• Safety First
• Protect people, animals, and property from electric shock, fire, and overcurrent hazards.
• Comply with relevant standards (e.g., IEC, NEC, BS 7671, Ethiopian Electrical Standards if
applicable).
• Compliance with Regulations
• National/local wiring codes must be followed.
• Installation should be inspected and tested before energization.
• Adequate Capacity
• The system should handle present and future loads (allowing for possible extensions).
• Reliability & Continuity
• Minimize interruptions through proper circuit separation, protective devices, and
redundancy where required.
• Energy Efficiency
• Optimize lighting, appliance use, and cabling to reduce energy losses.
• Accessibility & Maintainability
• Switchboards, distribution boards, and outlets should be easily accessible for operation
and maintenance.
• Aesthetic & Functional Integration
• Installation should blend with architecture and not obstruct daily use.
 Contd……
• For example, the electrical installation of a two-room residential may
include:
• two lighting final electric circuits,
• five final electrical circuits of the socket-outlets,
• one electric stove final electric circuit,
• one electric water heater final electric circuit,
• one air conditioner final electric circuit,
• one electric floor heating final electric circuit.
• These final electric circuits are usually connected to the residential
distribution board.
Requirement of number of sockets out lets
typical residential rooms.
 Distance between socket outlets
• In general, socket outlets should be spaced no more than 4m apart on any wall. However,
there are some exceptions and variations depending on the type and function of the room.
• The distance between socket out lets and water supply and drainage pipe is should not be
less than 20 cm.

Figure 1.8. Position of SOL and switch

Maximum Circuit Loading
• Maximum Circuit Loading - For loads other than motors, the total load on
consumer's service, feeder or a branch circuit shall be 80% of the circuit
rating.
• But for the future unexpected or expansion of installation work, it is
recommended to leave reserve power
NB: If the load is greater than maximum power (recomended value), we
should have to devide it in to sub-group

Installation Conductor ACB Pmax Recommend

size ed Power

Lighting 1.5 mm2 10 A 1760 W 1400 W

Socket Out 2.5 mm2 16 A 2400 W 1600 W (8

Let SOL)
 BEI Design of Commercial Building
• Commercial electrical installation refers to
the process of installing electrical systems
and equipment in commercial buildings
such as offices, shops, hospitals, schools,
stores, public buildings, banks, hotels and
other non-residential buildings.
• Commercial electrical installation includes:
all the electrical wiring and equipment
installed in a commercial or industrial
building.
• It typically consists of a main service
panel, branch circuits, lighting fixtures,
and outlets.
• Proper installation and maintenance of
commercial electrical systems are critical
for ensuring the safety of the building
occupants, protecting the building from
fire hazards, and maintaining the
functionality and efficiency of the
building’s electrical infrastructure.
 Basic specific needs of Commercial electrical
installations
• Commercial electrical installations can vary widely based on
the specific needs and requirements of the building or facility.
• Here are some of the most common types of commercial
electrical installations
i. Lighting installation
ii. Power installation
iii. HVAC installation.
iv. Grounding
v. Fire alarm installation.
vi. Security system installation
vii. Data and communications installation
[Link] protection installation….etc
 Residential vs Commercial Electrical Installation
Design
Aspect Residential Buildings Commercial Buildings
Load Demand Lower – lighting, kitchen appliances, Higher – lighting, HVAC, office equipment,
HVAC, personal devices elevators, etc
Load Type Mostly single-phase Mostly three-phase
Wiring Design Simpler, fewer circuits Complex – multiple circuits, sub-distribution
boards
Lighting Design Based on comfort and aesthetics Based on lux levels and usage (task, emergency
lighting)
Circuit Load Based on appliance diversity, simple Detailed demand factors, diversity, harmonics
Calculation load tables considered
Control Systems Basic switches/dimmers Automated systems (BMS, motion sensors, timers,
etc.)
Emergency Lighting Rarely required (except in common Mandatory – for exits, hallways, staircases
areas in apartments)
Cable Management Hidden in walls or conduits Often in trunking, underfloor, cable trays, or
raceways
Earthing/Grounding Basic earthing system More robust systems (may include isolated
grounding)
Power Distribution One or two distribution boards Main distribution + multiple sub-distribution panels
Flexibility & Minimal future load changes
Requires allowance for expansion, reconfiguration
Scalability
Example 1

• It is proposed to illuminate a class room of dimensions 6 x 8 x 2.85 m

to an illuminance (E) of 400 lux at the bench level. The specification
calls for luminaires having one 1050 mm 40 W fluorescent natural tube
with an initial output of 3200 lumens with white metal base and
prismatic plastic diffuser of 0.5 reflection coefficient. Working table
height is 0.85m. Determine the number of luminaires required for this
installation when the MF is 0.7, respectively.
• NB- In spacing the lamps, It is assumed that the distance b/n lamp
centers in any rows is approximately equal to the distance between
adjacent rows.
• It is also assumed that the distance b/n the outside row and the wall,
and b/n the end lamp and the end wall, is half the spacing distance. The
spacing of the lamps may be found either by calculation or by trail
Example 2
 BEI design of industrial building.
• Industrial electrical installations are the
systems and components that provide
electrical power to industrial facilities and
factories.
• Industrial electrical installation includes: all
the electrical wiring and equipment installed
in an industrial facility.
• These installations are critical for the
production and operation of machines and
equipment.
• It typically consists of a main service panel,
branch circuits, motor control centers,
transformers, and outlets.
 1.4.3 Some basics of industrial electrical installations:
• Industrial electrical installations are a critical component of any industrial facility or factory,
as they provide power to machines and equipment necessary for production processes.
Here are some basics of industrial electrical installations:
i. Electrical Safety:- Proper safety measures and regulations must be followed
ii. Power Supply:- reliable power supply
iii. Electrical Panels:-Electrical panels distribute power throughout the facility
iv. Electrical Wiring:- must be properly sized, rated and installed
v. Earthing (Grounding):-Proper grounding of the electrical system
vi. Circuit Protection:- proper protection devices fuses, circuit-breakers, and surge protectors
are used to
vii. Maintenance:-Regular maintenance including
testing, inspecting, replacing worn and updating
the systems…