Rensselaer Polytechnic University’s Lighting Research Center (LRC) has released “Field Test DELTA Snapshots: Classroom Lighting,” a new publication detailing a systems-based approach to lighting in school classrooms aimed at improving lighting and saving energy. The publication summarizes findings from the LRC’s evaluation of an experiment conducted by Finelite and sponsored by NYSERDA.
Finelite installed its Integrated Classroom Lighting System in 28 classrooms at seven schools throughout New York state. The LRC assessed the ways teachers used the lighting systems to improve the learning environment, interviewed teachers, distributed student preference surveys, and analyzed results from electronic data loggers connected to the systems that mapped usage patterns and energy use.
The LRC found that teachers preferred to have alternate lighting modes available when showing visual presentations and also appreciated the provision of separate task lighting. Findings also indicated that the lighting system delivered significant energy savings. “Field Test DELTA Snapshots: Classroom Lighting” can be downloaded free of charge from the LRC’s Publications web page.