| Products designed to reduce lighting energy consumption are of particular interest to facility engineers, lighting designers, and energy management professionals. Products such as electronic ballasts, occupancy sensors, and dimming systems are continually developed and refined, yet insufficient field data are made available to the end user. Sparse data exist on the effect that these products have on the building occupants and on building systems. This thesis briefly reviews lighting technologies, and then defines lighting product impact parameters such as system operation, maintenance, aesthetics, safety, occupant comfort, and potential for energy savings. Recommended (or tolerable) values for these parameters are given, followed by an illustrative evaluation of lighting products available in 1991 in view of these characteristics and recommended values. The thesis concludes with reprints of recent professional journal articles on these subjects by the author of this thesis. |
