THE PRINCIPLE OF LIGHT
Based on the fundamental principles of MENTAL BALANCE BY LIGHT, we have developed two formulas that ensure every room, regardless of its architectural characteristics, is always provided with the right amount and distribution of light.
THE FORMULA
In fact, a specific amount of energy in the form of light can be assigned to every room. Light is vital energy that varies across three phases of the day. During the day, especially in winter, we need 100% of this energy to energize ourselves; in the early evening, about 60% of this energy is sufficient for relaxation; and later in the evening, only 30% is needed to meditatively wind down the day. In the past, people tried to generate this light energy through a single, central light source. Today we know that light energy must be distributed so that it can actually be effective in a room—spread across multiple sources rather than concentrated at a single point. But how many LightUnits does a room need? Based on our experience with more than 800 projects, we were able to identify a pattern that led us to develop the formulas.
Due to unconscious patterns of perception, light energy cannot be divided into arbitrarily small units. There is a minimum meaningful unit into which it can be divided: the base unit of 1,500 lumens — LIGHT-UNIT
THE LIGHT-UNIT PRINCIPLE
The LIGHT-UNIT is measured in lumens, the physical unit of luminous flux—that is, the light energy emitted by a light source. As a general guide, 1,500 lumens of usable luminous flux is roughly equivalent to three 60-watt incandescent bulbs or three 35-watt halogen bulbs. This base unit is the smallest quantity at which light energy can be meaningfully perceived in standard-sized rooms. It thus serves as the building block for applying the formula—which combines light output and light distribution—to any given room.
Based on the fundamental principles of human light perception outlined in *Mental Balance By Light*, three parameters can be derived against which every light source must be evaluated
FEATURES
OF THE LIGHT UNIT
1 NO GLARE The suppression of stray light and a wide glare angle ensure that we perceive the light as pleasant rather than distracting. In lighting terms, this is expressed by the UGR value. For DAS LICHT, UGR values below 13 are required.
2 COLOR RENDERING A homogeneous spectrum of emitted light waves is essential for ensuring that our color perception remains within our calibration range. In lighting terminology, this is expressed using the CRI unit. For DAS LICHT, the luminaires must have a CRI of at least 90; a CRI of 97+ is optimal
3 NO DIFFUSION Directional light with a precise beam path creates the contrasts our eyes need to perceive a space as vibrant and three-dimensional, thereby making MENTAL BALANCE BY LIGHT EFFECTIVE. In terms of lighting technology, the depth of contrast is determined by the light distribution within the light cone. Here, beam angles with an asymmetrical distribution of approximately 16°x22° are optimal. If a light source has even a single negative characteristic in any of these three areas, an optimal result cannot be achieved. Just as a single impurity can compromise clean water. Only when a light source fulfills all three characteristics simultaneously can it actually create positive light. Only then is it suitable as a LIGHT-UNIT
