Unconventional Luminaire Layout Design by Genetic Algorithms

The dominant part of energy performance of a building consists of the consumption of heating and lighting. Both the heating and lighting systems of buildings work at their designed efficiency for most of the buildings’ lifetimes. Interference with existing systems is costly considering replacements and construction adjustments. Therefore, considerable effort must be put into the design of these systems during the building design phase. The article is focused on luminaire layout design strategy, which affects the number of luminaires in a building and therefore their power consumption and the sustainability of the building. A genetic algorithm with radiosity implemented has been used to find suitable placements of luminaires of a single type in a model room to decrease the number of luminaires as much as possible. The use of a genetic algorithm can reduce the number of luminaires by using an irregular grid of luminaire placement, and therefore decrease the power demand and increase the sustainability of the lighting system. Three outcomes of an optimal luminaire layout design are presented in this paper, including the design strategy conclusions. The results of the calculation outcomes were verified by software DIALux that is commonly used for designing lighting systems.