how do i calculate the amount of lighting needed for the rooms in my house?

Question

i'm trying to choose lighting for each room in my house and an area which will be used as a school. is there some sort of calculation to determine the watts needed when using incandescent, fluorescent, and halogen bulbs?thanks!

Answer 1

There is a calulation that can be done, and it is based on a lot of factors. Room size (length, width and height), room shape, wall finish type, mounting height of the light, height of the work surface, fixture type, and bulb type all factor into it.

For a 15'x15' room with an 8' ceiling, and a standard 2 lamp 2'x4' fixture, you should be fine with just three fixtures. For a 20'x20' room, you would really need six fixtures.

For a really rough estimation, about 1 watt per square foot of space should give you adequate lighting, assuming you are using fluorescent lighting.

Answer 2

Aaron is correct with the lumen's being what you need to be aware of. Another thing if you use fluorescent lights is what kind of diffuser you use. They all serve a different purpose, some are to direct the light straight down which will give you a brighter area below just not very far out. Others are made to spread the light out. This will figure in to how many lights you will need to install to prevent shadows and dark spots.

Answer 3

watts has no relavence to the amount of light put out when comparing multiple styles of bulbs watts is a unit of power not light. Lumens is what you are looking for, and it is mostly personal preferance you can have a room that is well lit and then add dimmers. check out this web site for more info on lux and if you have an electrician doin your house have him go over where would be a good place for lighting and how many depends on the source of light(L.E.D., Flourecent, kylon, halogen-ect) You may decide on a set up that conserves energy. Wattage is not a factor it is a mearsurement of power (VOLTSxAMPS=Watts).
http://www.theledlight.com/lumens.html

Answer 4

I assume you mean how much does a light bulb cost to run otherwise the question doesnt make sense. Standard light bulbs come typically in 60W and 100W. In the Uk a Kilowatt (1000Watts) of electricity costs about 10 pence, so running a 100W lightbulb for 1 hour will cost 100/1000 x 10p or 1 pence.

Answer 5

calculation is for movie studios or photographers and lighing in the home or classroom you are doing is only your jugdement. but to help you fluorescent is the way to go, it is almost the best lighting in any lamp or fixture. it saves on your electric and they have different life times like regular bulbs but cost less in the stores for now. money is the key here so you can have more for your students and yourself good luck

Answer 6

fluorescent is cheaper to run, last longer, better for enviroment. as far as calculations go, it is your preference. living rooms you may not want bright go with lamps, kitchen you want good light, depends on how many windows. do you like natural lighting, warm lighting etc... recessed lighting is great too. track lighting nice but a pain in the a... to clean. i prefer the canister lighting in my kitchens bathrooms hallways. lamps in bed rooms. go with your taste you have to live there. you might as well live there happily,.

Answer 7

for house lighting see
http://www.energy.ca.gov/2005publications/CEC-400-2005-005/chapters_3q/6_Lighting.pdf

for school light see
http://www.geocities.com/loudounlights/Ordinance.htm

Answer 8

do you have blue or brown eyes !