SC Lighting Standards
A field guide to the parameters that define lighting quality โ colour, brightness, comfort and circadian health โ the standards behind them, and the tools used to design for them.
Topics
Open any topic for its full definition, why it matters, and recommended ranges โ then jump to the full live simulator to test it.
How faithfully a light source reveals the true colours of objects and skin tones.
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The warmth or coolness of white light, measured in Kelvin โ sets mood and alertness.
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The amount of light actually falling on a working surface โ the core brightness metric.
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A measure of visual discomfort caused by overly bright light sources in the field of view.
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The total light a fixture puts out โ separate from lux, which is what actually lands on your desk.
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Rapid, often imperceptible fluctuations in light output that can still affect the body.
Read More โCodes & Standards
The codes behind the recommended ranges throughout this reference.
EN 12464-1
Europe
Light and lighting โ Lighting of work places โ Part 1: Indoor work places โ Defines recommended illuminance, glare (UGR), uniformity, and colour-rendering targets by task and room type for indoor workplaces, including schools and offices.
View the standard โEN 12464-2
Europe
Light and lighting โ Lighting of work places โ Part 2: Outdoor work places โ The outdoor counterpart to EN 12464-1, covering illuminance and glare targets for yards, loading areas, and other exterior work zones.
View the standard โEN 13201
Europe
Road Lighting โ Defines lighting classes and photometric requirements for public roads based on traffic type, speed, and complexity.
View the standard โIES RP-1
North America
Recommended Practice: Lighting Office Spaces โ The Illuminating Engineering Society's recommended illuminance and quality targets for office and workplace lighting.
View the standard โWELL Light Concept
Global
WELL Building Standard โ Light โ A wellness-focused building standard with circadian lighting requirements, including melanopic-equivalent illuminance targets across the day.
View the standard โCross-Reference
The same parameter, named differently by each framework โ use this to translate a spec sheet from one region to another.
| Parameter | EN 12464-1 | ISO 8995-1 / CIE S 008 | ANSI / IES | WELL v2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCT | Tc / Correlated Colour Temperature | Correlated Colour Temp (Tc) | CCT / Chromaticity (Duv) | CCT / m-EDI |
| CRI | Ra / General Index | Ra / General Colour Index | CRI (Ra), TM-30 (Rf, Rg) | CRI (Ra), R9, TM-30 |
| Flicker | Pst LM & SVM | TLA (Temporal Light Artefacts) | Percent Flicker, Flicker Index, IEEE 1789 | Percent Flicker, SVM, Pst LM |
| Glare | UGR (UGRL) & Luminance Limits | UGR / UGRL | VCP, DGP, UGR | UGR (โค16 or โค19) & Luminance Caps |
| Lux | Em, Ev, Ez | Em (Maintained Illuminance) | E / Foot-candles (fc) or Lux (lx) | Illuminance (lx), EML, m-EDI |
| Lumen | ฮฆ / Luminous Efficacy | ฮฆ / Luminous Flux | ฮฆ / Lumens (lm) | Luminous Output / Flux |
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The tools that put these parameters and standards into practice โ ours and the wider industry's.
SC Tool
AI-powered lighting design system โ configure a space's dimensions and purpose and get code-aligned lighting proposals in minutes.
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The source of this reference's education data โ pick a grade and environment for tailored lighting recommendations.
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SC Tool
Explore Short Circuit luminaires in 3D, place them in your space with AR, or step into a full VR walkthrough.
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Industry Tool
Free, widely used professional lighting design software for calculating illuminance, glare, and energy performance against EN and IES standards.
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Industry Tool
Lighting simulation software for interior, exterior, and road lighting design with photorealistic rendering and standards compliance checks.
Visit โOn The Ground
Short Circuit Company at LedEXPO and other lighting events.
