Illumination of Workplaces in Classrooms of Higher Educational Institutions

Lighting is one of the key factors affecting human productivity and health. Correctly calculated illumination of workplaces ensures comfort and safety, reduces eye fatigue and increases work efficiency. The values of the illumination of the classroom were calculated using the standard methodology and the DIALux software. The types, powers, and luminous fluxes of the used lamps were determined. Measurements of the actual illuminance levels were carried out in order to determine its compliance with established illumination standards. The actual illumination of the classroom is within the normative values. The most illuminated workplaces are located in a row near the windows due to the direct location of the lamps above the tables (from 501 lx to 590 lx). The workplaces in the row against the wall (from 500 lx to 514 lx) turned out to be less illuminated. The illumination of the middle row was in the range from 511lx to 533 lx. The obtained results of the actual illumination generally correlate with the results of the DIALux simulation, but the measured illumination in all areas turned out to be 10 % lower on average than the program calculated. This is due to the fact that the luminous flux of fluorescent lamps decreases during operation due to the aging of lamps, degradation of phosphor, and other factors. The established frequency of lamp replacements in classrooms, according to the results of the study, is optimal and allows us to ensure the normative illuminance of workplaces. It is worth noting that the lamps at the time of replacement work out only 50 % of their life and are suitable for use in other rooms that do not require high visual load.