Indoor Environment, Lighting Conditions and Productivity in the Educational Buildings

Abstract The main aim of the research is to assess the light intensity and its impact on the productivity of research participants in educational buildings. The research was carried out in 18 rooms in teaching buildings in Poland and involved over two hundred volunteers. The tests were carried out with the following climate parameters: air temperature ranged from 20 to 25.1 °C, relative humidity from 18.16 to 50.9 %, and the concentration of carbon dioxide from 509 to 1634 ppm. The light intensity in the tested rooms ranged from 17.3 to 1095.1 lux. The parameters of the room temperature, carbon dioxide concentration, relative humidity and light intensity were recorded using a microclimate meter. The study participants were asked to answer questions about overall well-being, lighting quality, and productivity in each room. The results show that the air temperature has an effect on the productivity of the participants with the most preferable range of about 22 – 24 °C. It was also observed that productivity increased with improved well – being of the respondents. The analysed research also made it possible to check whether the users were satisfied with the light intensity. 74 % of respondents assessed that with the prevailing lighting, their productivity is normal, and they also felt best in rooms where the light intensity was 200 - 400 lux.