task lighting
Reading, writing or kitchen and bathroom tasks demand adequate lighting, sufficiently bright and well focused. That's the role of… task lighting. Task lighting is not meant to light the entire room. Just task and work surfaces...
Task lighting is specific to the home's work and task zones: those associated to reading and writing, or to kitchen countertops, desks and other areas where someone who is doing a job needs a bright non-shadowed light.
Task-ambient lighting
Task lighting is inseparable of ambient (general) lighting. While ambient lighting refers to the general uniform lighting of the room, task lighting complements that that wider space, providing the exact amount of light required to perform specific tasks…
Energy efficiency
A task-ambient design approach can save energy as long as the higher levels of lighting (provided by lamps over work areas) are restricted to the task points.
In this approach the general system can operate with lower levels of lighting than those of traditional lighting systems, based on high or relatively high levels of lighting for the whole rooms.
Requirements
Task lighting design requires some assessments in order to insure that the sources of light are correctly located and have the required intensity and light quality.
That depends a lot of the type of room (the kitchen, the living room or the bathroom involves different designs…) and nature of the tasks associated to each of them.
Task lighting Configuration
The exact task lighting system depends on several elements…
The nature of the visual task to be performed is a very important one, but there are others determinants, associated with the existing windows and day-lighting system, the existing electric system and lighting fixtures, the reflectivity and placement of the walls, ceiling, floor, furniture and other elements over which the task-light source is focused, or even the age of the people involved in the tasks.
Types of lights for task Lighting
For higher levels of energy-efficiency prefer CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lighting) and LED bulbs.
They can provide high quality lighting, contrary to some people's believes. The supposed poor color quality of fluorescent or the supposed buzzing ballasts and flickering fluorescent lamps are misconceptions coming from past realities.
See: Light quality
See also:
Lighting basics
Indoor Lighting Projects
Indoor Lighting Design
Ambient Lighting
Accent Lighting
Indirect Lighting
Wall Washing Lighting
Energy-efficient lighting
Kitchen Lighting
Bathroom Lighting
Family, Living and Dining rooms Lighting
Home Office lighting
Bedroom and Childreen's room lighting
Hallways, Halls, Stairs and Laundry Lighting
Lighting controls: timers, motion-sensors, etc.