MEP light calculation

Basic
Design of lighting system
Direct lighting
90% of light fall into floor example ceiling light
Semi direct lighting
60% to 90% light fall into floor remaining waste or into wall face
Semi Indirect lighting
60% to 90% light fall into wall face like wall mounted light
Indirect lighting
90% light fall into wall face
Depends on our architectural purpose we fix the light.
So the factors are
1. Where the reflected light goes?
2. Efficiency of light, power, and so on
3. No of lights
4. Height of the lamp
5. How much light fall into floor(working plan in revit)


Lighting calculation methods by practical
Watts per square metre method
Lumen or light flux method (revit MEP USES THIS METHOD)
Formula = No of lamps x watts of each x effi. Of each per watt x (coefficient of
utilization / depreciation factor)
Point to point or inverse square law method


In software how the average illumination calculated.
we need to calculate each light illumination and calculate average by the
AEI(Average estimate illumination) formula.

Consider I placed 2 light with 50lux, at a elevation height of 6 feet
Room Cavity Height
RCH = LP - LCW
RCH = Room Cavity Height
LP = Lighting Calculation Luminaire Plane (The height of the light sources in the space)
LCW = Lighting Calculation Workplane for example school class room the light should fall on
table so the table height.
In this example: RCH = 9' 6" - 3' 0" = 6' 6" (If there are multiple light sources at varying heights,
the lowest height is used).

Room Cavity Ratio
Room Cavity Ratio is calculated as: RCR = 2.5 * RCH * P / A
RCR = Room Cavity Ratio
P = Room Perimeter
A = Room Area
In this example: RCR = 2.5 * 6.5 * 97.3333 / 567.11 = 2.788989

This green value is compared with the photometric web file in the software as per our given
wall, ceiling, floor reflect percentage in space properties.
It will get some values. This is called co efficient of utilization (Each light has different web file
check with light properties)


WL = II * LLF * CU
WL = Lumens at work plane
II = Initial Intensity (check with light properties )
LLF = Light Loss Factor (check with light properties )
CU = Coefficient of Utilization

Apply the above formula you get one light average value calculate for all light and apply to the
AEI.
That why the reason we are not getting the exact (50 lux +50 lux = 100lux) value. The lights are
wasted or affected by other elements.

Note:
1 lux = 0.0929030436 footcandles
Illumination is defined as the luminous flux received by the surface per unit area.
1 lux = one lumen per sq.metre
1 fc = one lumen per sq. foot.