Forum for Illumination Research, Engineering, and Science (FIRES)

Oct 30, 2018

Forum for Illumination Research, Engineering, and Science (FIRES)The ability to control fire is considered one of the most important factors in expanding and developing our human ancestors’ societies. The societal importance of fire required larger and larger groups to work together in order to maintain and sustain the fire; individuals had to work together to find fuel for the fire, maintain the fire, and complete other necessary tasks. Ultimately, fire had a significant influence on the development of language and the size and social interactions of communities.

The Forum for Illumination Research, Engineering, and Science (FIRES) is the IES online space for our lighting community to openly share and discuss the latest research and innovations in illumination engineering and science. As a space for the free dissemination of knowledge and exchange of ideas, FIRES is intended to foster relationships between individuals and larger institutions, and reignite the emphasis on science and engineering in the lighting industry. Through FIRES, we hope to have a significant influence on the development and advancement of lighting.

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The views expressed in articles published on FIRES do not necessarily reflect those of IES or represent endorsement by the IES.

Forum for Illumination Research, Engineering, and Science (FIRES)

Visible Light Disinfection

Figure 3.
By Ian Ashdown, P. Eng. (Ret.), FIES
Senior Scientist, SunTracker Technologies

Visible light disinfection is a lighting industry innovation wherein violet light is claimed to inactivate pathogens such as bacteria and viruses.
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Light and Intelligence

2022 IES Research Symposium
By Robert F. Karlicek, Jr.
About 2,500 years ago, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus postulated that the only constant thing in life is change. Perhaps this statement is more true today than it ever has been.
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GUV Measurements – From the Lab to the Field

GUV Measurements – From the Lab to the Field
By Michael L. Grather, CTO, LightLab International Allentown, LLC We have all seen the wide range of new products claiming to be effective against pathogens of all sorts. Common claims range from the rather ambiguous “fights germs” to the more specific but questionable claim “can disinfect up to 40 square meters of the surface at a time.” Maybe it’s just the times we’re living in, but my first reaction is to take a very skeptical view of these claims. It also seems that I’m not the only one. My neighbor, who is not in the lighting field, asked me if I thought “these UV lights” are safe. Almost without taking another breath he followed it up by asking “… do they actually work?”
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The Test of Time

The Test of Time
By Brian Liebel IES Director of Standards and Research This article is an expanded version the article found in the 50th Anniversary issue of LD+A, July 2021, providing additional background, more references, and personal insights by the author.
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Quantifying Light Pollution Sources: The Quintic Root of Hipparchus

Figure 4 – Visual efficiency functions.
By Ian Ashdown, Senior Scientist SunTracker Technologies Ltd. Nighttime light pollution is sadly familiar to all of us. While our grandparents and great-grandparents may talk fondly of seeing the Milky Way in their youth, with thousands of stars scattered across the dark summer sky, we are mostly content with seeing a few dozen stars through the never-ending dusk of urban and suburban skies.
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Ultraviolet Radiation Terminology

Figure 1. Germicidal response function for ultraviolet radiation (adapted from CIE 2003).
By Ian Ashdown, P. Eng., FIES Senior Scientist, SunTracker Technologies Ltd. A word of caution: I am going to be annoyingly pedantic here, but with good reason. The lighting industry has a century-long history of introducing unfamiliar technologies using familiar terminology. We later come to regret our choice of words when it becomes necessary to express precisely what we mean.
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Spectral Similarity as a Measure of Naturalness?

Spectral Similarity as a Measure of Naturalness?
By Jason Livingston (Studio T+L), Michael Royer (PNNL), Lorne Whitehead (University of British Columbia) It seems that every month there is a new metric proposed to quantify the performance of light sources, particularly with respect to spectral properties. One of the latest examples is Average Spectral Difference (ASD).
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Unifying the Art and Function of Light in the Built Environment – The Collaborative Roles of Visual Ergonomists and Lighting Designers

Control room after refurbishment. Photo courtesy of Schiavello.
By Jennifer Long, PhD Jennifer Long Visual Ergonomics, Katoomba NSW, Australia In his editorial “Is there a science of lighting design?” Peter Boyce observed, “the lighting designer who can deliver a solution that matches peoples’ preferences is likely to be successful.”1 But how does one accurately establish a person’s preferences? Do lighting preferences equate to the needs and requirements for the visual environment?
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