Differences in Perception of Daylighting Sufficiency Related to the Geographical Location in the Context of University Classrooms

Abstract

The proper consideration of daylight in indoor environments refers to guaranteeing sufficient light levels while minimizing the risks of glare. Currently, The International Organization Standardization-ISO and the International Commission on Illumination-CIE establish that, for classrooms, the proper lighting level oscillates between 300–500 lx. Despite this, there is evidence of differences in the daylighting levels perceived as sufficient. The objective of this article is to identify and to explain the differences in perception of daylighting sufficiency to perform typical reading and writing activities in four cities in Colombia with latitudes that oscillate between 3°25’18”N to 6°15’7”N: Armenia, Cali, Medellin and Manizales. A methodology that included the application of surveys to university students in classrooms was outlined; at the same time workplane illuminance was measured in the workstations and vertical illuminance at the height of the eyes of people. The results showed differences between cities in the proportion of people who perceive certain daylighting level as sufficiently illuminated. A logistic regression model showed that those differences can be explained from the global solar radiation of each city.