Lighting comfort in elementary school classrooms in the Chorrillos neighborhood of metropolitan Huancayo

Abstract

The study analyzed the lighting comfort of classrooms in elementary schools in the neighborhood of Chorrillos, in Huancayo Metropolitano, during 2016.  Objective: The aim was to determine the percentage of classrooms that met the lighting comfort conditions according to national and international standards. A non-experimental methodology with cross-sectional and descriptive design was used, evaluating the classrooms according to the National Building Regulations (2014) and the EM110 standard. Results: 75% of the classrooms reached general lighting comfort conditions. Specific values of 91%, 82% and 50% were obtained in different evaluated areas. The lighting levels recorded averaged 645 lux, with a minimum range of 250 lux and maximum values of up to 1788 lux, complying with the EM110 standard. However, the Peruvian standard is lower than that of other countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Australia and Belgium, where minimums vary between 300 and 500 lux and maximums between 500 and 750 lux. Although the classrooms analyzed present adequate lighting levels according to local regulations, the lack of definition of a maximum range in Peruvian regulations contrasts with international standards that consider the negative effects of excessive lighting, which could be reviewed to improve lighting comfort in classrooms.