Alternative lighting systems auditing using a smartphone

Abstract

Proper design of the outdoor lighting requires consideration of various factors including illuminance measurements. However, measuring this using a luxmeter can be very expensive. As an alternative, we examine the potential of a smartphone as a substitute for auditing lighting systems. We measured the illuminance of the front walkway at the National Institute of Physics, University of the Philippines Diliman together with a calibrated DIY LDR Circuit. The smartphone readings give almost the same value as that of the calibrated DIY LDR Circuit. Using these, we found out that the lighting system falls below the minimum illuminance requirement of 3 lux as evident with the dark areas at the midpoint between the lamps. We noticed that illumination is highly non-uniform. Our basic approach offers a low-cost and easily accessible tool for simple lighting assessments that can be used in different locations.