3 ms·

> Attempting to harness natural light in this type of building sounds like a feel-good notion that can't possibly compete with decent led lighting run from a re

> Attempting to harness natural light in this type of building sounds like a feel-good notion that can't possibly compete with decent led lighting run from a renewable grid. Most indoor lighting is below 1000 lux. Bright daylight without direct sun is 10000 lux. There's no comparison between proper daylighting and almost any reasonable amount of indoor lighting. This is why it's very difficult to see things even on a very high luminance screen like a Macbook Pro outdoors during daylight.

ZeroGravitas 5y ago
Are you suggesting that being unable to read a computer screen is some kind of desireable quality in a classroom setting? I didn't mean compete in terms of max lux output, though if they actually wanted to do that for whatever odd reason (film studio? indoor weed farming?), the basic tech probably could as well. I meant effective task lighting for multiple people and multiple tasks across seasons in a large building with multiple very similar large rooms that have windows in different places but usually along one wall only (in a valley, in a cloudy country relatively far from the equator).
- jaggederest 5y ago
  No, I'm saying that there's no reasonable lighting system that can approximate even "cloudy country far from the equator" brightness that comes through windows. So if they set the windows up wrong, you can't patch over it with LEDs. Especially for children, whose visual cortexes are still developing, which requires bright light and high contrast.
  - ZeroGravitas 5y ago
    You still seem to be suggesting that a) a very large amount of light is required in a classroom setting and, b) it is beyond our current technology to achieve this level of light via LED lighting without sunlight provided by windows. Which on the face of it, seems totally absurd. Things such as Night School, and schools/offices near the poles for example, exist. Is there something more specific that you're actually saying?
    - postoak 5y ago
      I'm guessing they aren't saying the light is necessary for school/learning, but that it is unknown whether it is needed for human development. Most of the time mammals and humans evolved they probably spent a substantial amount of time outdoors and if kids spend the majority of the day without sufficient light it could effect their development. Of course there probably isn't sufficient research to know, but it seems pretty clear that sunlight exposure affects sleep and mood which are pretty important for the brain to function well.
    - jaggederest 5y ago
      https://parentingscience.com/kids-need-daylight/ https://parentingscience.com/kids-need-daylight/ Especially children need significant time spent in bright daylight in order to develop normally. It's not beyond our technology, but nobody actually does it.

ZeroGravitas 5y ago

Are you suggesting that being unable to read a computer screen is some kind of desireable quality in a classroom setting? I didn't mean compete in terms of max lux output, though if they actually wanted to do that for whatever odd reason (film studio? indoor weed farming?), the basic tech probably could as well. I meant effective task lighting for multiple people and multiple tasks across seasons in a large building with multiple very similar large rooms that have windows in different places but usually along one wall only (in a valley, in a cloudy country relatively far from the equator).

jaggederest 5y ago
No, I'm saying that there's no reasonable lighting system that can approximate even "cloudy country far from the equator" brightness that comes through windows. So if they set the windows up wrong, you can't patch over it with LEDs. Especially for children, whose visual cortexes are still developing, which requires bright light and high contrast.
- ZeroGravitas 5y ago
  You still seem to be suggesting that a) a very large amount of light is required in a classroom setting and, b) it is beyond our current technology to achieve this level of light via LED lighting without sunlight provided by windows. Which on the face of it, seems totally absurd. Things such as Night School, and schools/offices near the poles for example, exist. Is there something more specific that you're actually saying?
  - postoak 5y ago
    I'm guessing they aren't saying the light is necessary for school/learning, but that it is unknown whether it is needed for human development. Most of the time mammals and humans evolved they probably spent a substantial amount of time outdoors and if kids spend the majority of the day without sufficient light it could effect their development. Of course there probably isn't sufficient research to know, but it seems pretty clear that sunlight exposure affects sleep and mood which are pretty important for the brain to function well.
  - jaggederest 5y ago
    https://parentingscience.com/kids-need-daylight/ https://parentingscience.com/kids-need-daylight/ Especially children need significant time spent in bright daylight in order to develop normally. It's not beyond our technology, but nobody actually does it.