7 Key Steps in Lighting Design Process

Structured Design Process

To achieve the best overall outcome in a lighting installation, it is
important to avoid the tendency of rushing straight into luminaire
selection before determining more broadly what is required from the
system. The use of a structured design process helps to avoid this.
The key steps in the design process are:
1.

Identify the requirements

2.
3.

Determine the method of lighting

Select the lighting equipment

4.
5.

Calculate the lighting parameters and adjust the design as required

Determine the control system

6.
7.

Choice of luminaire
Inspect the installation upon completion
(If possible, a few months after occupation, to determine what worked
and what didnt. This is the only way to build up experience to apply to

future designs)
The five initial stages are considered in more detail in the following lines.

1. Identifying the requirements

This involves gaining a full understanding of what the lighting
installation is intended to achieve. This includes the following:
Task Requirements?

IL luminance
Glare

 Mood of the space

Relation to shape of space
Things to be emphasized
Things to hide
Direction of light
Interaction of daylight

2. Determine the method of lighting

At this stage, consideration is given to how the light is to be delivered,
e.g. will it be recessed, surface mounted, direct or indirect, or will uplighting be used, and its primary characteristics, e.g. will it be prismatic,
low brightness or mellow light.
Consideration should be given at this stage to the use of daylight to
minimize the need for artificial light.

3. Select the lighting equipment

Once the method of lighting has been selected, the most appropriate
light source can then be chosen followed by the luminaire.
The following attributes should be studied when choosing the light
source:
Light output (lumens)
Total input wattage
Efficacy (lumens per Watt)

 Lifetime
Physical size
Surface brightness / glare
Color characteristics
Electrical characteristics
Requirement for control gear
Compatibility with existing electrical system
Suitability for the operating environment
A number of factors also affect luminaire choice:
Characteristics of the light source and control gear
Luminaire efficiency (% lamp light output transmitted out of the
fixture)
Light distribution
Glare control
Finish and appearance
Size
Accessibility of components for maintenance
Ability to handle adverse operating conditions
Aesthetics
Thermal management

4. Calculate the lighting parameters

Lighting calculation methods fall into three broad categories:
1.
2.

Manual calculation methods

Three dimensional modeling

3.

Visualization

Photometric data for light sources and luminaires is commercially

available to contribute to these calculations.

4.1 Manual calculation methods

There are a wide range of manual computation methods for the
calculation of different lighting aspects. These include complex
methods for calculating the luminance from a wide variety of shapes of
luminous objects. The majority of these have now been superseded by
computer programs (check our free software).
The Lumen Method was the mainstay for interior lighting and has
remained in use as a quick and relatively accurate method of calculating
interior luminance.
The Lumen Method calculates the average luminance at a specific
level in the space, including an allowance for the light reflected from the
interior surfaces of the room. The calculation method has a set of
assumptions that, if followed, gives a reasonable visual environment.
Inadequate attention to the assumptions will produce poor results.
The basic assumptions are:
All the luminaires in the room are the same and have the same
orientation
The luminaires do not have a directional distribution and are aimed
directly to the floor
The luminaires are arranged in a uniform array on the ceiling and
have the same mounting height
The luminaires are spaced less than the maximum spacing to
mounting height ratio nominated in the coefficient of utilization tables

The average luminance produced by a lighting installation, or the number

of luminaires required to achieve a specific average luminance, can be
calculated by means of utilization factors (UF), a UF being the ratio of
the total flux received by a particular surface to the total lamp flux of the
installation.
Lumen method formula

The average luminance E (h) over a reference surface s can be

calculated from the lumen method formula.

Where:
F the initial bare lamp flux (lumens)
n the number of lamps per luminaire
N the number of luminaires
LLF the total light loss factor
UF(s) the utilization factor for the reference surface s of the
chosen luminaire
Utilization factors can be determined for any surface or layout of
luminaires. The UF symbol is normally shown followed by an extra
letter in brackets, to denote the surface, for example, UF (F) is the
utilization factor for the floor cavity and UF (W) is the utilization
factor for the walls.
Utilization factors are, in practice, only calculated for general lighting
systems with regular arrays of luminaires and for three main room
surfaces. The highest of these surfaces, the C surface (for ceiling

cavity), is an imaginary horizontal plane at the level of the luminaires

having a reflectance equal to that of the ceiling cavity.
The lowest surface, the F surface (for floor Cavity), is a horizontal plane
at normal working height (i.e. table height), which is often assumed to
be 0.85 m above the floor.
The middle surface, the W surface (for walls), consists of all the walls
between the C and F planes.
Although the lighting designer can calculate utilization factors, lighting
companies publish utilization factors for standard conditions for their
luminaires. The standard method of presentation is shown below. To use
this table, it is only necessary to know the Room Index and the effective
reflectance of the three standard surfaces (floor cavity, walls and ceiling
cavity).

Room Index Calculation

Room Index

The Room Index is a measure of the angular size of the room, and is
the ratio of the sum of the plan areas of the F and C surfaces to the area
of the W surface. For rectangular rooms the room index is given by:

Where:
L the length of the room
W the width of the room
Hm the height of the luminaire plane above the horizontal
reference plane.
If the room is re-entrant in shape, for example L shaped, then it must
be divided into two or more non-re- entrant sections, which can be
treated separately.
Spacing to Mounting Height Ratio (SHR)

The Spacing to Mounting Height Ratio (SHR) is the spacing between

luminaires divided by their height above the horizontal reference
plane.
It affects the uniformity of luminance on that plane. When the UF
tables are determined, for a nominal spacing to height ratio SHR NOM,
the maximum spacing to height ratio SHR MAX of the luminaire is also
calculated, and is a value that should not be exceeded if the uniformity is
to be acceptable.

4.2 Three dimensional modeling

DIA Lux work plane

Although it was possible to calculate the luminance of all the surfaces in
a room, the calculations were extremely laborious and could only be
justified in the most special cases. However, the advent of computer
modeling enabled a more flexible approach to lighting design and
significantly increased the information available to the designer.
In contrast to the Lumen Method, lighting programs enable the
lighting designer to broaden the assumptions:
A mixture of luminaires can be used
The luminaires no longer have to be arranged in a regular array
Directional luminaires can be modeled
A large number of calculation points can be considered to give a
meaningful uniformity calculation
The luminance and luminance of all surfaces can be calculate

This gives the lighting designer a much greater understanding of what is

happening in the room.
However there has been considerable research, experience and
documentation over the past 80 years that has developed the current
thinking in the adequacy of various luminance levels for various tasks
and functions.
Although there is some general understanding of the need for
appropriate luminance distribution in the vertical plane, there is
little information, experience or understanding for many designers
to determine:
What the luminance of surfaces should be in varying situations
What is an acceptable luminance uniformity
Whether there should there be a maximum luminance uniformity
What is the desired graduation in luminance
At what point is the luminance distribution of the wall unacceptable
It is important in using a lighting calculation program that the output
records the type of luminaire used, the location of the luminaires, and the
assumed lumen output of the lamp, the light loss factor and the aiming
points. If this is not recorded you have a pretty picture of the installation
and no way of making it a reality.

4.3 Visualization
These are programs that create a perspective rendering of the space
in levels of detail that vary from a block representation of the space, to
photographic quality renderings, depending on the sophistication of the
program and the level of detail of the interior to be entered.

The programs fall into two basic types:

Flux transfer or grandiosity calculations
Ray tracing calculations
The major difference being in how they interpret light from reflective
surfaces.
A Lambertian surface is a perfect diffuser, where light is reflected in all
directions, irrespective of the angle of incidence of the light such that
irrespective of the viewing angle the surface has the same luminance. A
specular surface is a mirror like surface, where the angle of reflection of
the light is the same as the angle of incidence.

Left: Lambertian surface; Middle: Specular surface; Right: Semi-specular

surface
A real life surface is a combination of both surfaces (semi-specular) and
has both specular and diffuse characteristics. Some materials are more
specular while others are more diffuse.
A flux transfer or radiosity program treats all surfaces as diffuse or
Lambertian surfaces, as a result their rendering tends to appear flat with
soft shadow details. It will tend to overestimate the uniformity. Ray
tracing traces the individual rays of light from the source to the eye as it
reflects from surface to surface around the room. As a result ray tracing
can allow for the specular component of the surfaces.

Some programs calculate the entire lighting by ray tracing while

others calculate the space on a flux transfer basis and have an
overlay of ray tracing of specific areas to improve the quality of the
rendering. When ray tracing is added, reflections are added in polished
surfaces and shadows become sharper.
Visualization programs are a useful tool in the presentation of a
design, as a tool for the designer to check that the design is consistent
with his own visualization of the space, and to model specific lighting
solutions. The programs are still calculation tools and not design
programs.
The programs can show the designer how a specific design will
perform but that they cannot reliably be used to assess the
acceptability of a design.
Irrespective of the form of the visualization output, it is important that the
program provides adequate information to enable the construction and
verification of the lighting design.
The output should include:
Installation information the type and location of all luminaires
and the aiming information. The lamp details should be included as
well as the specific catalogue number of photometric file that has
been used.
Light technical parameters the luminance, uniformity and other
parameters that have been calculated to achieve the design.
Verification information adequate details to enable the lighting
calculation to be verified. This should include the luminaire type, the

photometric file, surface reflectances that were assumed, light loss

factors, lumen output of lamps and mounting and aiming locations.

5. Determine the control system

The effectiveness and efficiency of any lighting installation is
affected as much by the control system as by the light sources and
fixtures chosen.
Give consideration to:
Providing multiple switches to control the number of lights that
come on at any one time. Using one switch to turn on all the lights in
a large room is very inefficient.
Placing switches at the exits from rooms and using two-way
switching to encourage lights to be turned off when leaving the room.
Using smart light switches and fittings which use movement
sensors to turn lights on and off automatically. These are useful in
rooms used infrequently where lights may be left on by mistake, or
for the elderly and disabled.
Make sure they have a built-in daylight sensor so that the light
doesnt turn on unnecessarily. Models which must be turned on
manually and turn off automatically, but with a manual over-ride, are
preferable in most situations. Be aware that the sensors use some
power continuously, up to 5W or even 10W in some cases.
Using timers, daylight controls and motion sensors to switch
outdoor security lights on and off automatically. Controls are
particularly useful for common areas, such as hallways, corridors
and stairwells, in multi-unit housing.

 Using solar powered lighting for garden and security lights.

Using dimmer

controls

for

incandescent

lights (including

halogens). This can save energy and also increase bulb life. Most
standard fluorescent lamps cannot be dimmed, but special dimmers
and lamps are available. If lamps are to be dimmed it is important to
ensure that the correct equipment is used, especially when
retrofitting more energy efficient lamps.

6. Choice of Luminaire
The performance of a luminaire should be considered just as carefully
as its cost. In the long term a well-designed, well-constructed luminaire
will be cheaper than a poor quality unit; and the salient features of a
good quality luminaire are:
Sound mechanical and electrical construction and a durable finish
Adequate screening of high luminance lamps to minimize
discomfort and glare
Adequate heat dissipation to prevent over-heating of the lamp,
wiring and ancillary equipment
High light output ratio with the appropriate light distribution
Ease of installation, cleaning and maintenance
An example of calculating the number of indoor lighting fixtures

Input information
These are the input data for the following calculation:
1.
2.

An office area has length: 20 meter; width: 10 meter; height: 3

meter.
The ceiling to desk height is 2 meters.

3.

The area is to be illuminated to a general level of 250 lux using twin

lamp 32 watt CFL luminaires with a SHR of 1.25.

4.
5.

Each lamp has an initial output (Efficiency) of 85 lumen per watt.

The lamps Maintenance factor (MF) is 0.63,Utilization Factor is
0.69 and space height ratio (SHR) is 1.25.

Calculation in 8 steps
1. Total wattage of fixtures:
Total wattage of fixtures = Number of lamps x each lamps watt.
Total wattage of fixtures = 2 32 = 64 Watt.

2. Lumen per fixtures

Lumen per fixtures = Lumen efficiency (Lumen per Watt) x each fixtures watt
Lumen per fixtures = 85 x 64 = 5440 Lumen

3. Number of fixtures
Required number of fixtures = Required Lux x Room area / MF x UF x Lumen per fixture
Required number of fixtures = (250 x 20 x 10) / (0.63 0.69 5440)
We will need 21 fixtures

4. Minimum spacing between each fixture

The ceiling to desk height is 2 meters and space height ratio is 1.25, so:
Maximum spacing between fixtures = 2 1.25 = 2.25 meter.

5. Number of required rows of fixtures along with width of

room
Number of rows required = Width of room / Max. spacing = 10 / 2.25
Number of rows required is therefore = 4.

6. Number of fixtures required in each row

Number of fixtures required in each row = Total Fixtures / Number of rows = 21 / 4
Therefore, we have 5 fixtures in each row.

7. Axial spacing between each fixture:

Axial spacing between fixtures = Length of room / Number of fixtures in each row
and that would be: 20 / 5 = 4 Meter

8. Transverse spacing between each fixture:

Transverse spacing between fixtures = Width of room / Number of fixtures in row

and that would be: 10 / 4 = 2.5 Meter.

5 things to conclude

Calculated room for the number of lighting fixtures

So far, we have been calculated the following:
Number of rows with lighting fixtures = 4
Number of lighting fixtures in each row = 5
Axial spacing between fixtures = 4.0 meter
Transverse spacing between fixtures = 2.5 meter
Required total number of fixtures = 21

Electrical Notes

Lumen Method

The quantity of light reaching a certain surface is usually the main

consideration in designing a lighting system.
This quantity of light is specified by illuminance measured in lux, and as this
level varies across the working plane, an average figure is used.
CIBSE Lighting Guides give values of illuminance that are suitable for various
areas.
The section - Lighting Levels in these notes also gives illuminance values.
The lumen method is used to determine the number of lamps that should be
installed for a given area or room.

Calculating for the Lumen Method

The method is a commonly used technique of lighting design, which is valid, if
the light fittings (luminaires) are to be mounted overhead in a regular pattern.
The luminous flux output (lumens) of each lamp needs to be known as well as
details of the luminaires and the room surfaces.
Usually the illuminance is already specified e.g. office 500 lux, kitchen
300 lux, the designer chooses suitable luminaires and then wishes to know
how many are required.
The number of lamps is given by the formula:

where,
N =
E =
A =
F =
UF=

number of lamps required.

illuminance level required (lux)
area at working plane height (m 2)
average luminous flux from each lamp (lm)
utilisation factor, an allowance for the light distribution of the luminaire
and the room surfaces.
MF=
maintenance factor, an allowance for reduced light output because of
deterioration and dirt.

Example 1
A production area in a factory measures 60 metres x 24 metres.
Find the number of lamps required if each lamp has a Lighting Design Lumen
(LDL) output of 18,000 lumens.
The illumination required for the factory area is 200 lux.
Utilisation factor = 0.4
Lamp Maintenance Factor = 0.75

N
=
( 200 lux x 60m x 24m )
lumens x 0.4 x 0.75 )
N
=
53.33
N
=
54 lamps.

/ ( 18,000

Spacing
The aim of a good lighting design is to approach uniformity in illumination over
the working plane. Complete uniformity is impossible in practice, but an
acceptable standard is for the minimum to be at least 70% of the maximum
illumination level.
This means, for example, that for a room with an illumination level of 500 lux,
if this is taken as the minimum level, then the maximum level in another part
of the room will be no higher than 714 lux as shown below.
500 / 0.7 =
714 lux
Data in manufacturer's catalogues gives the maximum ratio between
the spacing (centre to centre) of the fittings and their height( to lamp centre)
above the working plane (0.85 metres above f.f.l.)

Example 2
Using data in the previous example show the lighting design layout below.
The spacing to mounting height ratio is 3 : 2.
The mounting height (Hm) = 4 metres.
The spacing between lamps is calculated from from Spacing/Hm ratio of 3 : 2.
If the mounting height is 4 m then the maximum spacing is:
3/2 =
Spacing / 4
Spacing
=
1.5 x 4 = 6 metres
The number of rows of lamps is calculated by dividing the width of the building
(24 m) by the spacing:
24 / 6 = 4 rows of lamps

This can be shown below. Half the spacing is used for the ends of rows.

The number of lamps in each row can be calculated by dividing the total
number of lamps found in example 1 by the number of rows.
Total lamps 54 / 4
= 13.5 goes up to nearest whole number = 14
lamps in each row.
The longitudinal spacing between lamps can be calculated by dividing the
length of the building by the number of lamps per row.
Length of building 60 m / 14 = 4.28 metres.
There will be half the spacing at both ends = 4.28 / 2
= 2.14 metres
This can be shown below.

The total array of fittings can be seen below.

For more even spacing the layout should be re-considered.

The spacing previously was 6 m between rows and 4.28 m between lamps.
If 5 rows of 11 lamps were used then the spacing would be:
Spacing between rows
Spacing between lamps

= 24 / 5
=
60 / 11

= 4.8 metres
= 5.45 metres

Installed Flux
Sometimes it is useful to know the total amount of light or flux, which has to
be put into a space.
Installed flux (lm) = Number of fittings (N) x Number of lamps per
fitting x L.D.L. output of each lamp (F)

Example 3
A factory measuring 50m x 10m has a lighting scheme consisting of 4 rows of
25 lighting fittings each housing 2No. 65-Watt fluorescent lamps.
(a)
(b)

Find the installed flux in total.

What is the installed flux per m2 of floor area.

The output of the lamps in the above example may be found from catalogues.
For a 65-Watt fluorescent lamp the Lighting Design Lumens (LDL) is 4400 lm.
(a)
Installed flux (lm) =
N x no. lamps/fitting x F
=
4 x 25 x 2 x 4400
=
880,000 lumens
(b)
The floor area
=
50 x 10 = 500 m2.
Installed flux per m2
=
880,000 / 500
=
1760 lm/m2.

Example 4
A room measures 15m x 7m x 3.6m high and the design illumination is
200 lux on the working plane (0.85 metres above the floor).
The Utilisation factor is 0.5 and the Maintenance factor is 0.8.
If the LDL output of each fitting is 2720 lumens, calculate;
(a)
the number of fittings required.
(b) the fittings layout.
(c) If the spacing/mounting height ratio is 1 : 1 determine whether the
current design is acceptable.
(a) Number of fittings.
N
=
( 200 x 15 x 7 ) / ( 2720 x 0.5 x 0.8 )
N
=
19.3
N
=
20 lamps

(b) Fittings layout

For shallow fittings, the mounting height (Hm) may be taken as the distance
form the ceiling to the working plane.
Therefore

Hm
Hm

=
=

3.6 - 0.85
2.75 metres

If 3 rows of 7 fittings are considered then the spacing is;

(c) Spacing/ mounting height.
Spacing / Hm ratio:
2.33 / 2.75 =
0.847
2.14 / 2.75 =
0.778

Therefore ratio is
Therefore ratio is

0.85 : 1.0
0.78 : 1.0

Example 5
A room, as shown below, has a design illumination is 500 lux on the working
plane (0.85 metres above the floor).
The Utilisation factor is 0.5 and the Maintenance factor is 0.8.
If the LDL output of each fitting is 2720 lumens, calculate;
(a)
the number of fittings required.
(b) the fittings layout.
(c) If the spacing/mounting height ratio is 1 : 1 determine whether the
current design is acceptable.

(a)
N
N
N

=
=
=

( 500 x 10 x 12 ) / ( 2720 x 0.5 x 0.8 )

55.15
56 lamps.

(b)
Spacing,
say 8 lamps x 7 rows.
Spacing along 12 m wall =
12 / 8 = 1.50 m
Spacing along 10 m wall =
10 / 7 = 1.43 m
(c)
Mounting height =
3.0 - 0.85 =
2.15 m
Desired Ratio
=
1:1
Actual ratio =
1.5 / 2.15 =
0.69 Therefore ratio is
Actual ratio =
1.43 / 2.15 =
0.67 Therefore ratio is

0.69 : 1.0
0.67 : 1.0

Calculate No of Lighting Fixtures / Lumen for Indoor Lighting

An office area is 20meter (Length) x 10meter (width) x 3 Meter (height). The ceiling to desk height is 2 meters. The area is to
be illuminated to a general level of 250 lux using twin lamp 32 watt CFL luminaires with a SHR of 1.25. Each lamp has an initial
output (Efficiency) of 85 lumen per watt. The lamps Maintenance Factor (MF) is 0.63 ,Utilization Factor is 0.69 and space height
ratio (SHR) is 1.25

Calculation:
Calculate Total Wattage of Fixtures:

Total Wattage of Fixtures= No of Lamps X each Lamps Watt.

Total Wattage of Fixtures=232=64Watt.

Calculate Lumen per Fixtures:

Lumen per Fixtures = Lumen Efficiency(Lumen per Watt) x each Fixtures Watt

Lumen per Fixtures= 85 x 64 = 5440Lumen

Calculate Nos of Fixtures:

Required No of Fixtures = Required Lux x Room Area / MFxUFx Lumen per Fixture

Required No of Fixtures =(250x20x10) / (0.630.695440)

Required No of Fixtures =21 Nos

Calculate Minimum Spacing Between each Fixture:

The ceiling to desk height is 2 meters and Space height Ratio is 1.25 so

Maximum spacing between Fixtures =21.25=2.25meter.

Calculate No of Row Fixtures Row Required along with width of Room:

Number of Row required = width of Room / Max. Spacing= 10/2.25

Number of Row required=4.

Calculate No of Fixtures required in each Row:

Number of Fixture Required in each Row = Total Fixtures / No of Row = 21/4

Number of Fixture Required in each Row = 5 Nos:

Calculate Axial Spacing between each Fixture:

Axial Spacing between Fixtures = Length of Room / Number of Fixture in each Row

Axial Spacing between Fixtures =20 / 5 = 4 Meter

Calculate Transverse Spacing between each Fixture:

Transverse Spacing between Fixtures = width of Room / Number of Fixtures row

Transverse Spacing between Fixtures = 10 / 4 = 2.5 Meter.

Conclusion:

No of Row for Lighting Fixtures= 4 No

No of Lighting Fixtures in each Row= 5 No

Axial Spacing between Fixtures= 4.0 Meter

Transverse Spacing between Fixtures= 2.5 Meter

Required No of Fixtures =21 Nos

LIGHTING CALCULATION
How to Calculate Lighting for Optimal In-Home Levels

While designing your home, performing a lighting calculation will help you determine how much light
you need for each room and for various tasks. This page will teach you how to calculate lighting
levels. It might seem tricky at first but luckily there are lighting tables available that list how much light
is required for various room types and tasks. Stay with us, in the end you'll only have to multiply a few
numbers together to find the light level you'll need for each room.

Lighting Calculation Terms

The lighting tables you'll be referencing will tell you how much light you need for each room or task in
either footcandles (imperial measurements) or lux (metric).
Let's first define a few lighting terms.
Candela: One candela is equivalent to the illumination from one standard candle. (There is a far more
technical definition if you're interested at Wikipedia's candela page.)
For those working in the imperial system:
One footcandle is the amount of illumination on a surface created by a light source of one candela
that is a foot away from the surface.
In the metric system:
One lux is the amount of illumination on a surface created by a light source of one candela that is a
metre away from the surface.
When you purchase light bulbs there will generally be two numbers of interest on the packaging. One
is Watts which measures the power draw of the bulb. The other is lumens.

For those using feet, one footcandle is equal to 1 lumen/square foot.

For those using metres, one lux is equal to 1 lumen/square metre.
So in order to calculate your lighting needs for a given room, you check an illumination chart for the
optimal number of footcandles or lux for a given task and then multiply by the square footage (or
metres) of the room to obtain the number of required lumens.
Below is a chart for basic tasks and room functions. Below the table you'll find an example home
lighting calculation for a kitchen.
Activity

Foot candles

Lux

Hallways

5-7

55-75

Entertaining

10-20

110-215

Dining

10-20

110-215

Easy reading

20-50

215-540

Bathroom

20-50

215-540

Kitchenbasic lighting

20-50

215-540

Kitchenfood prep

50-100

540-1075

Difficult reading or writing

50-100

540-1075

General workshop lighting

50-100

540-1075

Fine or detailed work

100-200

1075-2150

How to Calculate Lighting for a Kitchen

Note: The lighting calculation example below is calculated using the imperial system (feet). If you are
working in metres, simply exchange the foot candle numbers for the appropriate lux numbers from the
table and calculate your room area in square metres.
Let's do a lighting calculation for a 10 by 12 foot kitchen as an example. For our basic general kitchen
lighting, we know from the table above that we'll need 20-50 foot candles. For food preparation, we'll
want more like 50 to 100 foot candles.
Let's start by calculating the area of the kitchen. By multiplying the length and width of our kitchen
together we get 10 feet X 12 feet = 120 square feet.
Now to calculate the required lumens for the kitchen we multiply the number of foot candles (let's take
the dimmest general lighting level of 20 foot candles first) by the square footage. For this we'll need
20 foot candles X 120 square feet = 2400 lumens.
For the maximum foot prep level of 100 foot candles, the calculation would be 100 foot candles X 120
square feet = 12,000 lumens.

For compact fluorescent lights (CFL) the illuminance tends to be about 40 to 70 lumens per Watt of
power draw (incandescent lights are more like 10-17 lumens/Watt). For our example let's use 20 Watt
CFLs rated at 1200 lumens.
So for our lowest light requirement of 2400 lumens, the calculation would be:
2400 lumens / 1200 lumens per bulb = 2 bulbs
For our brightest light requirement of 12,000 lumens, the calculation would be:
12,000 lumens / 1200 lumens per bulb = 10 bulbs
That seems like a lot of lights but if you consider all the light possibilities for a kitchen: dimmable
recessed lights, some under cabinet lights, the light on the stove top vent hood and a few track or
hanging lights right above an island or prep counter, you could reach that ten bulb level.
For some however, this level of 12,000 lumens may be simply too bright. For a more personalized
home lighting design, do a few quick calculations in your current home to determine the light level in a
given room. Compare the light level of that room to the tasks shown in the table above. If you feel the
light in that room is inadequate, bring in a few extra lamps from other rooms until the light seems
right. Add up the number of lumens from all the bulbs in the room and then calculate the number of
foot candles you now have in that room. Compare this number to the chart above to get a feel where
in each range you prefer your lighting.
Keep in mind that any kind of shade over the light fixture, whether it is a lamp shade or a colored
glass pendant over the bulb will lower the number of lumens output for that bulb.
To achieve the variation in light level required between the general kitchen lighting level and the food
prep lighting level, you can group your lights on a few different switches. Under-cabinet lights are
often on a separate switch as are the lights in the stove vent hood. You can also have any fixtures
directly over an island or peninsula style counter on their own switch.
Some or all lights can also be put on dimmer switches.
If you are doing your home lighting design and the above calculations seem too frustrating, check
out LightCalc Lighting Software which will do all the lighting calculations for you.

Other Lighting Calculation Resources

For techies, the nitty-gritty details of lighting calculation.
See our page on home lighting design to learn more about the different types of lighting.