AEPH
Home > Industry Science and Engineering > Vol. 3 No. 6 (ISE 2026) >
Balancing Visual Comfort and Efficiency in Indoor LED Lighting: Diffusion, Cut-Off Angle, and Thermal Management
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62381/I265606
Author(s)
Haozhan Li1, Jingyi Zhang2
Affiliation(s)
1Department of Physics, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China 2Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Abstract
This paper looks at how to balance visual comfort and efficiency in indoor LED luminaires, focusing on diffusion, cut-off angle, and heat management. A diffuser smooths the emitting surface but usually costs about 5-15% light output. Adding a cut-off ( θc) to block high_angle light also helps with glare (UGR).Keeping the LED junction temperature under ~85°C helps keep CCT and light output stable. For learning and office environments, moderate diffusion with a θc of approximately 30–40° is recommended, combined with a simple heat sink , to achieve a balance between UGR and efficiency.
Keywords
LOR; Light Output Ratio; θc, Cut-Off Angle; UGR; Unified Glare Rating; Tj; LED Junction Temperature; CCT; Correlated Color Temperature.
References
[1] Xu, Y., Chen, G., Chang, Y., Lin, H., Zheng, J., & Gan, L. (2016). The Secondary Optical Design and Fabrication for the Uniform Illuminating LED Spotlight Using TIR Lens. MATEC Web of Conferences, 61, 06002. [2] Hirning, M. B., Isoardi, G. L., & Cowling, I. (2014). Discomfort glare in open plan green buildings. Energy and Buildings, 70, 427–440. [3] Tsankov, P., Pavlov, D., Kassev, K., Yovchev, M., & Stoyanov, I. (2024). Comparative analysis of the lighting engineering characteristics of an indoor LED luminaire with different microprism lenses. In Proceedings of the 2024 Ninth Junior Conference on Lighting. [4] Bangali, J. (2018). Discomfort glare evaluation using DIALux lighting simulation software and using developed python program model. International Journal of Sustainable Lighting, 20(2), 85. [5] Kyatam, S., Alves, L. N., Maslovski, S., & Mendes, J. C. (2021). Impact of die carrier on reliability of power LEDs. IEEE Journal of the Electron Devices Society, 9, 854–863. [6] Aghajari, S., & Chen, C.-C. (2025). Optimizing classroom lighting for enhanced visual comfort and reduced energy consumption. Buildings, 15, 1233. [7] Su, H.-D., Wang, Y.-J., Dong, J.-Y., et al. (2007). Computer modeling and simulation evaluation of high power LED sources for secondary optical design. Semiconductor Photonics and Technology, 13(3), 186–191. [8] Porsch, T., Funke, C., Schmidt, F., & Schierz, Ch. (2020). Measurement of the Unified Glare Rating (UGR) based on using ILMD. Light & Engineering, 28(3), 108–115. [9] Roberts, J., De Michele, G., Pernigotto, G., Gasparella, A., & Avesani, S. (2021). Comfort and efficiency-based improvements to the control of residential Venetian blinds. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2069, 012130. [10] Lasance, C. J. M., & Poppe, A. (Eds.). (2014). Thermal Management for LED Applications. New York: Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-5091-7. [11] Yan, J. (2021). Design of a phosphor-converted LED based lighting system considering both the lighting and color uniformity. Journal of the European Optical Society-Rapid Publications, 17, Article 1. DOI: 10.1186/s41476-021-00158-7. [12] Shailesh, K. R., & Raikar, T. S. (2010). Application of RELUX software in simulation and analysis of energy efficient lighting scheme. International Journal of Computer Applications, 9(7), 24–35. [13] CIE. (2010). Calculation and Presentation of Unified Glare Rating Tables for Indoor Lighting Luminaires. CIE 190:2010. Vienna: Commission Internationale de l’Éclairage. ISBN: 978-3-901906-87-9. [14] Sawicki, D., & Wolska, A. (2022). Glare at outdoor workplaces-An underestimated factor of occupational risk. Energies, 15(2), 472. [15] Schoettle, B., Sivak, M., Flannagan, M. J., & Adachi, G. (2004). The illuminated surface areas of high-intensity discharge and tungsten halogen headlamps in the USA. Lighting Research & Technology, 36(3), 243–250. [16] Ding, X., Wang, L., & Wu, C. (2022). The Comfort Analysis Model Design of the Ground Light Environment of a Dome Reflective Badminton Court in a University. Scientific Programming, 2022, Article ID 2334108, 1–7. DOI: 10.1155/2022/2334108. [17] Yamamoto, K., & Akashi, Y. (2016). Effectiveness of task and ambient lighting system using indirect luminaires. Journal of Environmental Engineering (Transactions of AIJ), 81(727), 765–773. DOI: 10.3130/aije.81.765. [18] Gago-Calderón, A., Hermoso-Orzáez, M. J., De Andres-Diaz, J. R., & Redrado-Salvatierra, G. (2018). Evaluation of uniformity and glare improvement with low energy efficiency losses in street lighting LED luminaires using laser-sintered polyamide-based diffuse covers. Energies, 11(4), 816. [19] CIBSE Journal. (2021). LED luminaire optical control for office and educational applications. CIBSE Journal, March 2021, 53–62. [20] Lee, H.-W., & Lin, B.-S. (2012). Improvement of illumination uniformity for LED flat panel light by using micro-secondary lens array. Optics Express, 20(S6), A788–A798. DOI: 10.1364/OE.20.00A788. [21] Kuo, C. F. J., Dewantoro, G., & Huang, C. C. (2015). Optimization of injection-molded light guide plate with microstructures by using reciprocal comparisons. Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, 26, 677–690. [22] Chou, T.-Y., Chou, D.-C. / Ding-Chin, & Gao, L.-G. / Ling-Guei. (2016). The Implementation and Design of a Multi-Reflector Cup for LED Lighting. GSTF Journal of Engineering Technology, 4(1). DOI: 10.7603/S40707-016-0018-1. [23] Xie Hao. (2005). Analysis of glare issues in residential space lighting. Architectural Technology Development, 32(3),59–61. [24] CIE. (2019). Discomfort caused by glare from luminaires with a non-uniform source luminance. CIE Technical Report 232:2019. Vienna: Commission Internationale de l’Éclairage. [25] Huang, H.-H., Chen, C.-H., Lai, Y.-C., Chang, Y.-C., Huang, Y.-P., Shieh, H.-P.D. and Chen, C.-W. (2009), 31.4: Direct View and Projection Switchable Mobile Display. SID Symposium Digest of Technical Papers, 40: 436-438.
Copyright @ 2020-2035 Academic Education Publishing House All Rights Reserved