Classroom illuminance: a case in Malaysian university

Abstract

Lighting is an important requirement for people to support their daily activities. Building users in Malaysia commonly rely on artificial lights in the building. However, improper use of artificial light in the room will lead to negative impacts on the occupants' health, comfort and productivity. This study investigates the light levels of the classroom in university. A total of 61 samples were collected and compared to Malaysian Standard 1525:2007, the illuminance for the classroom. The observation was conducted in two sessions a day using lux meter. The results showed that 62% of the classrooms have good illuminance, which complies to the existing requirement of illuminance in Malaysia's classroom, within the range of 300-500lx. The findings of this study provide an overview of the existing illuminance in the classroom in university and serve as a reference to the management for their efforts to improve the indoor environment quality and the student's well-being.