CIE x015-1998

The impetus for this Symposium came from many directions, as lighting quality is high on the agenda for many in the international lighting community. The National Research Council of Canada hosted the first-ever international effort to summarise what is known about lighting quality and to set a course for research to improve that understanding.

The conference committee set certain objectives for the two-day symposium, these being to review world-wide research, theory and practice related to lighting quality:

• to identify the various components of lighting quality
• to identify issues that could be emerging from technological change (non-visual effects from high frequency operation, narrow-band phosphors, hazards)
• to critically examine current recommended practice
• to determine what research is needed and to set priorities
• to determine a means to involve users (designers, manufacturers, legislators) in the process.

These issues were examined from the perspectives of "Design", "Research" and the "Integration" of Lighting Quality, Daylighting, Electric Lighting, Energy Efficiency and Environmental Issues. Invited speakers provided keynote addresses to open the three sessions, and were followed by invited responses or commentaries. In each session, a wide variety of papers and posters from authors in Europe, North America, Australasia and Asia contributed to lively discussion and debate. The event culminated in focused group discussions.

The volume is 247 pages, softcover, and includes all papers and posters presented at the symposium, a summary of the group discussions, and a concluding statement by the conference committee outlining a framework for advancing lighting quality in research, education, and practice.