Exploring lighting conditions to reduce energy consumption and improve cognitive performance using immersive virtual environments

Abstract

[EN] The global energy crisis has created an urgent demand to decrease the energy that buildings consume. In universities, the situation is complicated as campuses need to have a high level of comfort and, therefore, consume more energy than other building types. Lighting accounts for a high percentage of this energy expenditure and urgent measures are required to reduce this consumption and, thus, costs. A further complication is that lighting has been shown to have an important influence on cognitive learning processes. One such process is memory, which has a fundamental influence on modern society. In this study, we analyse the psychological responses of 143 students in a memory task in a virtual classroom using three illuminance levels (100 lx, 300 lx and 500 lx) and four colour temperatures (3000 K, 4000 K, 6500 K and 10500 K). The results showed that lighting conditions influence memory. The combination of 100 lx and 6500 K produced the best memory performance. The results showed that varying lighting parameters can significantly reduce the energy expenditure of educational centres and, in turn, provide better cognitive outcomes for students.