We are an instantaneous society. In theory, everything comes quickly. One exception is our codes and societal values, which tend to change very slowly. This brings us to Baby Boomers: As older people continue to flourish, living active vibrant lives, 70 is becoming the new 50. Codes and design standards must keep up with these Boomers, whether in the workplace, housing, healthcare, hospitality and retail (which have been addressed in earlier columns), or roadways and houses of worship (to be discussed in this column).

The conundrum facing lighting professionals is that energy concerns, global warming, reductions of lighting levels and the basic need to see clearly are in conflict. What can be done to provide older people with the higher lighting levels and quality of light that they need, while still meeting energy-usage targets? Can it be done? The one thing that we cannot continue to do is have an energy code that ignores the needs of older people.

Age-related vision problems include an increased sensitivity to glare; slower adaptation to changes in brightness; loss of contrast sensitivity; and a need for higher light levels to see with the same acuity as younger people. For older people to feel safe, they must be able to see the faces of those around them, find their way in unfamiliar spaces, and read signs and information without the aid of a flashlight. In order to serve older people, the energy code must take into consideration all of these issues.

Let’s look at two examples—street lighting and houses of worship.

From Streets to Pews
Coming soon to a street near you are new neighbors you may or may not like. On one hand, they are green and tend to live a long time. On the other hand, they are a little pushy and tend to be loud. Okay, we are actually talking about LEDs (not people). Energy efficiency and low maintenance requirements are two factors that make LEDs attractive for streetlights. A major downside to their use is glare, a big issue for older people, for whom driving is critical for independence and quality of life. Eye problems can be increased by glare from car headlights and streetlights. LED streetlights are made up of many individual lamps which can create one large glare bomb.

Certainly as technology improves, the number of LEDs in one streetlight can be reduced. But, in the meantime, people will have to live with high levels of glare that may be in place on their street for many years. LED streetlight design must consider how to restrict glare, perhaps with the use of diffusing lenses or using the LEDs in an indirect manner as some architectural downlights do. We must consider whether LEDs are the best answer for lighting streets. Induction lamps offer long life, low maintenance and a proven track record. Regardless, the reduction of glare must be a prime motivator to allow people of all ages to enjoy the streets at night.

Boomers are returning to spiritual interests and becoming a large part of the religious community. How do we deal with the high-volume spaces typical of places of prayer and worship, make them suitable for multiple uses, day and night usage, and provide for a large cross section of the population all in one building at one time, while also maintaining compliance with today’s energy code?

Some houses of worship have very high ceilings which can be particularly challenging when providing the variety of moods and settings required in today’s services, while also delivering adequate light for older people to read hymnals, scriptures, etc.

Less formal spaces serve many functions, from gatherings, dinners, meetings and slideshows. Vestibules, corridors and restrooms must have adequate light so that older people feel safe. The vestibule or transition space between the outside and the main worship space must be designed to accommodate the slower adaptation of older eyes. These spaces should be lighted to serve as the transition between two distinct lighting conditions in order to avoid a conflict between young worshipers (whose eyes adjust quickly) and older worshipers (who may need to stop in the entry to let their eyes adjust to low light conditions). Layers of light are essential to meet all these demands, but if the total connected load exceeds the energy code, what gets deleted? Since current ASHRAE/IES standards do not factor in age in their watts per sq ft calculation, the needs of the older users will not be honored.

Larger Questions
The larger question is, are we, the IES, going to lead the nation by demanding appropriate lighting for the aging Boomers while balancing the need for energy conservation? Or are we going to stand on the sidelines while the power density for lighting gets ratcheted down to the point that the Boomers become visually handicapped? When attending IES conferences we see a number of our colleagues who are already members of the Boomer generation and many more who will soon be joining the 50-plus age group. We are the professionals who know the issues of aging vision, and we personally experience the problems created by poor lighting.

Do we have the courage to live up to the IES Mission Statement? “The IES seeks to improve the lighted environment by bringing together those with lighting knowledge and by translating that knowledge into actions that benefit the public.”

Do we have the fortitude to carry out the IES Vision Statement? “The IES will build upon a century of excellence to create the premier lighting community dedicated to promoting the art and science of quality lighting to its members, allied professional organizations, and the public.”

Are we going to sound the alarm about the lighting needs of older people, or do we simply alert the medical profession, health insurance companies and Medicare so that they are ready to deal with the resulting increased case loads caused by inadequate light, as the number of falls, fractures and traffic accidents increases?

To live up to our mission statement, we have no choice but to take action. The fact that older eyes require higher levels of light and better quality of light must be factored into our energy code. The IES should work internally by raising the concern to the ASHRAE/IES Committee and to the editors of the upcoming IES Handbook. We should reach out to Steven Chu, U.S. secretary of energy, and Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of health and human services, alerting them to this potential problem, which could facilitate a shared solution that recognizes both the needs of the Boomers and the goal of energy conservation.

Codes are slow to change, so we need to work together now to get the codes right. The current method of calculating the lighting power density is too simplistic, treating all users the same, regardless of age. It  needs to be changed, and we need to lead the way.

Eunice Noell-Waggoner, LC, is president of the Center of Design for an Aging Society, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of age-related issues and the role of the built environment in maximizing the abilities of older people. She serves on the IES Lighting for Aging and Partially Sighted Committee.

Robert Dupuy, LC, IALD, is associate principal/lighting studio team leader for Interface Engineering.

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One look at the stock market and the housing market has many people who thought they would be retiring soon reconsidering that decision. Many Boomers have seen a decrease as great as 20 percent in the value of their 401(k) accounts, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Prospective retirees are also concerned that their health benefits might disappear. These are only a few factors which are keeping many older workers at their desks.

Luckily, there will be a need for them. The Census Bureau projects a serious labor shortage in the future, increasing the demand for older workers. Thus, all signs point to an influx of older workers who need accommodations in their lighting if they are to remain productive. The predicted number of older workers is staggering. By 2030, 23 percent of the population in the U.S. will be over the age of 65. By 2016, workers aged 65 and over are expected to account for 6.1 percent of the total labor force. AARP predicts that by 2020, one in three workers will be older than 50.

De-Emphasize Energy

New lighting standards should be written to accommodate these older workers. Fortunately, most lighting industry personnel understand how to minimize the impact of age-related vision changes by improving the quantity and quality of light. However, with the current emphasis on energy efficiency, new standards might reduce lighting levels, creating a huge handicap for older workers.

For example, the lighting power densities (LPD) established by ASHRAE/IES and enforced by energy codes were based on the illuminance values provided in the IES Handbook, 9th edition. They did not factor in the age of the user. As the new edition of the IES Handbook is being developed, we urge that age be factored into the standards. It should include a new quantitative model for the illuminance selection procedure that is based on research and addresses the needs of older people.

The green movement has also created hindrances for older people. The need for higher lighting levels for older people conflicts with the energy efficiency requirements of the USGBC’s LEED program. Daily, more people join the green bandwagon, which is a good thing. Again, though, there needs to be an accommodation for the lighting needs of older people. Daylighting is one aspect of green design that can come to the aid of older adults. Studies confirm that daylight improves health, mood and general well­being. However, access to daylight for office workers is often not available, even though LEED and other guide­lines continue to stress its importance. As more research proves the benefits of a healthy work place, the need for daylighting will increase. One good sign is that as energy codes restrict the amount of electric lighting in commer­cial spaces, more daylighting will be needed, which will be helpful to older workers.

Daylighting should be required by code as a health benefit. This has happened in some countries and should be incorporated into our national energy policy. As Boomers work side-by-side with younger workers for many extra years, their need for increased lighting levels can be supplemented by providing daylighting as a criti­cal piece of the energy puzzle. All ages will benefit from the growing energy needs.

Exterior lighting standards as set by LEED are another concern for older workers—especially the requirements for Site Credit 8 which deals with exterior lighting, both on the building and in the landscape. The credit aims to reduce upward light by requiring most light not to leave a luminaire above 90 deg. This credit is difficult to achieve because of several factors including the use of decorative, building-mounted luminaires, aesthetic decisions by the design team and a reduced selection of site luminaires meeting the below-90-deg requirement. It’s understand­able that owners and design teams want their projects to stand out in the crowd and decorative luminaires help them do just that. However, a shielded luminaire often does not provide enough light, especially on dark sidewalks filled with older adults. Uplight is not a good solution for older walkers since it causes glare. Therefore, LEED should consider the burgeoning senior population and make accommodations for increased site lighting.

Older workers will continue to contribute to society. Their efforts will be improved if the lighting industry takes their special needs into account. It’s simply good business: providing for the needs of older workers ben­efits everyone.

Eunice Noell-Waggoner, LC, is president of the Center of Design for an Aging Society, a not-for­ profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of age-related issues and the role of the built environment in maximizing the abilities of older people. She serves on the IES Lighting for Aging and Partially Sighted Committee.

Robert Dupuy, LC, IALD, is associate principal/lighting studio team leader for Interface Engineering.

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