THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ILLUMINATION – CIE
Who are they and what do they do?
WHO IS THE CIE?
The remit of the CIE, the International Commission on Illumination, is wide-ranging. However, the focus is definitely on research. The non-profit organisation was founded in 1900 and is based in Vienna. Today, it is largely supported and funded by the lighting industry. The Commission is primarily responsible for fundamental research and works closely with other institutes.
These include:
The IEC – International Electrotechnical Commission
and
CEN – European Committee for Standardisation
Furthermore, the International Commission on Illumination is recognised by ISO, the International Organisation for Standardisation. Representatives of the leading manufacturers and users of electric light sources are members of the CIE, mostly from North America, Europe and the Far East.
WHAT DOES THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ILLUMINATION DO?
As already mentioned, the CIE’s main activity lies in the field of research. Based on these findings, the Commission establishes rules and guidelines: sensible standards that form the basis for the quality of artificial lighting. For example, scientists are investigating which spectral ranges can be perceived by the human eye and how this can be utilised.
To optimise street lighting, amongst other things, the CIE defines exactly what is meant by twilight. This ensures that streetlights can be switched on or off at the right time. This not only increases efficiency but also improves safety.
Another guideline established by the CIE is, for example, lighting design in the workplace for people with visual impairments. And, of course, ergonomic workplace lighting in general.
The development of the so-called CIE color space still serves today as the basis for many other color spaces, the best known of which is probably the L*a*b* color space. Color spaces play a major role in determining color temperature. They are also used in other fields such as photography, printing, screens and many, many more.
Image: Torge Anders, CC BY-SA 3.0
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14869199
THE COMMISSION’S OBJECTIVES?
Today, in an era of growing environmental and energy awareness, the International Commission on Illumination also plays a key role in developing holistic lighting concepts for buildings and complexes. This is particularly relevant given the rapidly increasing use of LED lighting in these sectors.
The CIE regularly publishes new findings and shares them at regular intervals during meetings with the Professional Lighting Designers Association. This technical knowledge and progress enables lighting planners and designers to utilise and implement high-quality, effective lighting.
CIE’s research therefore plays a significant role in ensuring that we have good lighting in our homes, at our workplaces and in public spaces. And, of course, you can find high-quality LED lighting in the SEGULA online shop. We set the highest standards for technology and design!