Development of energy-saving and health-promoting light for the health care sector
The project will develop a energy efficient and health-promoting light for the elderly in social housing, care homes and other forms of group homes and insitutions.
The project will develop a energy efficient and health-promoting light for the elderly in social housing, care homes and other forms of group homes and insitutions and the project consists of three parts:
- Mapping, collecting and analysing of good practice and investigate light sources and fittings, light design and architecture that creates good results for the users health and well-being. The focus will be on projects that are documented regarding energy consumption and impact of health care. This part also includes a resarch trip to Europe.
- A pilot project for a least 20 houses in Albertslund Municipality to conduct knowledge based investigations as how new energy efficient lighting solutions (LED) infuence the health. This part of the investigation includes medical scientific research of the test persons, color spectral characterising of light sources and light technical measurements of lighting solutions in the living environments.
- Based on phase 1 and the collected knowledge and results of the pilot project there will be developed a handbook, that presents information for the desicion makers in the municipalities, social homes and others to give them the right foundation to select the right lighting solution.
The project results with a conference, where knowledge and the results will be presented for different municipalities, regions, hospitals and advisors.
The project has included the development of two LED lighting designs - one that varies in strength over the day, and one that varies in both strength and color scheme - that have been tested in randomized arder in 20 private homes of residents aged 65 years or more. The trial has included data collection at baseline and at the end of the two three weeks experimental periods consisting of eye exams, activity measurements, diaries and qualitative questionnaires and saliva samples in arder to measure the participants' melatonin levels.
The analysis of the data collected shows that most participants had an optimal regulation of the circadian, but forthose who had not data showed that better indoor lighting increased sleep quality and well-being. In addition, the LED lighting solutions were more energy-efficient than jf. an equivalent has been made using other technologies - whether incandescent, halogen or CFLs as light sources.
