Forum for Illumination Research, Engineering, and Science (FIRES)

The ability to control fire is considered one of the most important factors in expanding and developing our human ancestors’ societies. The societal importance of fire required larger and larger groups to work together in order to maintain and sustain the fire; individuals had to work together to find fuel for the fire, maintain the fire, and complete other necessary tasks. Ultimately, fire had a significant influence on the development of language and the size and social interactions of communities.

The Forum for Illumination Research, Engineering, and Science (FIRES) is the IES online space for our lighting community to openly share and discuss the latest research and innovations in illumination engineering and science. As a space for the free dissemination of knowledge and exchange of ideas, FIRES is intended to foster relationships between individuals and larger institutions, and reignite the emphasis on science and engineering in the lighting industry. Through FIRES, we hope to have a significant influence on the development and advancement of lighting.

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Editorial Disclaimer

The views expressed in articles published on FIRES do not necessarily reflect those of IES or represent endorsement by the IES.

luox – A new open-access, open-source platform for spectral computations

By Manuel Spitschan Around 20 years ago, a new type of cell was discovered in the human retina, the fine layer of tissue at the back of our eyes that…

The Test of Time

By Brian Liebel IES Director of Standards and Research This article is an expanded version the article found in the 50th Anniversary issue of LD+A, July 2021, providing additional background,…

Quantifying Light Pollution Sources: The Quintic Root of Hipparchus

By Ian Ashdown, Senior Scientist SunTracker Technologies Ltd. Nighttime light pollution is sadly familiar to all of us. While our grandparents and great-grandparents may talk fondly of seeing the Milky…

Double Dynamic Lighting — Bringing Qualities of Natural Light into the Office

Authors: Ellen Kathrine Hansen, Mihkel Pajuste; Aalborg University, Copenhagen In this new dynamic lighting approach, the sky type and daylight inflow are taken into consideration actively, bringing the dynamic office…

Figure 1. Germicidal response function for ultraviolet radiation (adapted from CIE 2003).

Ultraviolet Radiation Terminology

By Ian Ashdown, P. Eng., FIES Senior Scientist, SunTracker Technologies Ltd. A word of caution: I am going to be annoyingly pedantic here, but with good reason. The lighting industry…

Spectral Similarity as a Measure of Naturalness?

By Jason Livingston (Studio T+L), Michael Royer (PNNL), Lorne Whitehead (University of British Columbia) It seems that every month there is a new metric proposed to quantify the performance of…

Figure 2. Comparison of three different spectral weighting functions for prediction of spectral sensitivity (top row) and absolute nocturnal melatonin suppression by polychromatic “white” light sources (bottom row). (Legend light source [LS] notes: a) Nagare, Rea, Plitnick, & Figueiro 2019a; b) Nagare, Rea, Plitnick, & Figueiro 2019b; c) Nagare, Plitnick, & Figueiro 2019; d) LRC unpublished data.)

Applying circadian-effective lighting — Understanding the 3 Ps

Right after receiving my PhD, I took a position as a research scientist at the National Research Council Canada (NRCC) in Ottawa. It was a very good decision. The NRCC…

Unifying the Art and Function of Light in the Built Environment – The Collaborative Roles of Visual Ergonomists and Lighting Designers

By Jennifer Long, PhD Jennifer Long Visual Ergonomics, Katoomba NSW, Australia In his editorial “Is there a science of lighting design?” Peter Boyce observed, “the lighting designer who can deliver…

Designing a UV-C Germicidal System

By Ian Ashdown, P. Eng., FIES Senior Scientist, SunTracker Technologies Ltd. Germicidal lamps emitting ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiation have been in use since the 1930s (Wells and Wells 1936). These are…

Figure 1. Regression of metrics of light spectrum (CCT, melanopic response, M/P value, and percentage of light under 530 nm) against responses of insects, juvenile salmon, Newell’s shearwater (a seabird), sea turtles, and all responses. Approach and details of responses are provided in Longcore et al. (2018).

On the Use of Summary Metrics of Light Spectral Characteristics to Assess Effects of Artificial Light at Night on Wildlife

By Travis Longcore From the position of wildlife, the best artificial light at night is no artificial light at night.

The Slope of Circadian Enlightenment

By Colleen Hufford, LC, IES, Kelly Seeger, MSc, LC, IES, LEED AP, Signify Arguably, the biggest challenge we face (as an industry) is how to successfully apply circadian science to…

Figure 1. Illustration of overlap between specifications. Overlapping areas represent a possible combination. The areas are not to scale.

Using TM-30 to Improve Your Lighting Design

By Jason Livingston, Michael Royer, Tony Esposito Hopefully, you have heard of TM-30 by now. ANSI/IES TM-30-18, IES Method for Evaluating Light Source Color Rendition provides a robust suite of…

luox – A new open-access, open-source platform for spectral computations

By Manuel Spitschan Around 20 years ago, a new type of cell was discovered in the human retina, the fine layer of tissue at the back of our eyes that…