Personalized dynamic design of networked lighting for energy-efficiency in open-plan offices

Electric lighting consumes 19% of total electricity production worldwide. Open-plan offices constitute the majority of office stock, in which most office workers perform their daily tasks, and hence the lighting in those offices has significant impact on, not only energy usage, but also occupants’ productivity. This paper presents a unique lighting optimization approach for open-plan offices that is capable of tuning task lighting to each occupant's preference in the most energy-efficient fashion. Exploiting individual controllability of the advanced networked lighting systems, each luminaire can be dynamically actuated at a different level to realize various lighting configurations without any physical rewiring. This research formulates lighting actuation into a linear programming problem and finds the optimal light outputs for each of the luminaires that collaboratively deliver specified lighting to each workstation while using the least amount of energy. Simulations using our lighting optimization approach have shown its versatility in providing proper workstation-specific task lighting under different requirements compared to business-as-usual practices. Energy savings are generated from tuning the light levels to occupants’ needs as well as keeping unoccupied areas unlit or minimally lit with this approach.

► A method for tuning the light in an open-plan office to each occupant's preference.
► Each luminaire is individually actuated to deliver workstation-specific lighting.
► The output level of each light is also coordinated for maximum energy-efficiency.
► The method is effective for offices with less-than-ideal lighting configurations.
► Simulations of have shown 45–55% energy savings under various scenarios.