Lighting System Control Data to Improve Design and Operation: Tunable Lighting System Data from NICU Patient Rooms

The advancement of LED and controls technology, computing capacity, and software provides new opportunities for researchers and designers to work together to further optimize spaces for occupant benefit. Lighting system control data from five neonatal intensive care unit patient rooms was collected over a 25-week monitoring period and analyzed to better understand occupant response to a tunable lighting system with automatic transitions throughout the day. Lighting systems are very rarely refined after installation based on actual use. Objective data detailing how the lighting system is used by the actual occupants highlights the opportunities for optimization after installation and provides insight for improving the next design. As use of the data becomes more commonplace, it can be leveraged for design recommendations. The collection of the data required no additional cost beyond the time for examining the data. The analysis revealed several clear opportunities for improvement, including adjustments to the default control setting at night, re-labeling of the control stations, and adjustments to the nighttime fade rate. The patient room occupants were active users of the different zones, dimming options, and manual overrides made available by the lighting system.

Automated summary

The advancement in LED and controls technology presents new opportunities for optimizing lighting systems. Collecting and analyzing data on occupant response to a tunable lighting system can help improve design and provide recommendations for future developments.