The meaning of the visible part of the spectrum

solar energy in human life

From a physical point of view, solar energy is a flow of electromagnetic

radiation with different wavelengths. The spectral composition of the sun
fluctuates in a wide range from long waves to waves of vanishingly small
magnitude. At the boundary of the earth's atmosphere, the visible part of the
spectrum is 52%, at the surface of the earth - 40%.
In addition to ultraviolet and infrared rays, the sun produces a powerful
stream of visible light. The visible part of the solar spectrum occupies a range
from 400 to 760 microns.
Daytime illumination in an open area depends on the weather, the soil surface,
and the height of the sun above the horizon. Average illumination by month in central
Russia fluctuates widely – from 65,000 lux in August to 1,000 lux or less in January.
Air dustiness significantly affects daytime illumination. In large industrial
cities, natural illumination is 30-40% less than in areas with relatively clean
atmospheric air. Minimum illumination is also observed at night. On a moonless
night, illumination is created by starlight, diffuse atmospheric glow, and the night
sky's own glow. Light reflected from bright terrestrial objects makes a small
contribution to the overall illumination.

Visible light has a general biological effect. This is manifested not only in the
specific influence on the functions of vision, but also in a certain effect on the
functional state of the central nervous system and through it on all organs and
systems of the body. The body reacts not only to this or that illumination, but also to
the entire spectrum of sunlight. Optimal conditions for the visual apparatus are
created by waves of the green and yellow spectrum zones.

Numerous physiological works by Russian scientists (N.G. Vvedensky, V.M.

Bekhterev, N.F. Galanin, S.V. Kravkov) have shown the beneficial effect of red-
yellow light on neuromuscular excitability and mental state and the depressing effect
of blue-violet rays.
Chromotherapy is a non-contact method of treatment with light and color, the
effectiveness of which has been scientifically proven. It is based on the fact that
light, being electromagnetic radiation, penetrates tissues and carries the necessary
energy. All colors have their own radiation, carrying this or that information. The
effect of the corresponding color on a certain internal organ can be healing.
Chromotherapy is used to treat not only physical, but also mental illnesses and
disorders.
All colors have their own radiation, their own wavelength, capable of
carrying information, differently affecting different organs of a person. Color can
treat the physical and correct the mental state of a person.
Color is a colored light flux of varying intensity, and light
– is energy. Scientists have established that under the influence of certain colors
physiological changes occur in the human body. Colors can stimulate, excite,
suppress, calm, increase and suppress appetite, create a feeling of cold or warmth.
This phenomenon is called "chromodynamics". Ancient civilizations worshiped the
sun - the source of light and color. Color therapy adjusts our biological clock, restores
the immune, sexual, endocrine and nervous systems.
Color influences a person's physical condition.
In an environment where the color red predominates, muscle tension
increases, breathing speeds up, and blood pressure rises.
Orange increases blood flow and improves digestion.
Yellow stimulates vision, and light yellow is calming.
In a green environment, a person’s blood pressure is optimized and blood
vessels dilate.
In a blue room, breathing slows down and a pain-relieving effect sets in. In
addition, blue has antiseptic properties.
The use of blue for medicinal purposes is most often heard when talking
about insomnia. Apparently, blue can help here because it is calming.
 Purple color improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system, reduces
reduces temperature and appetite, alleviates the course of colds.
The special hygienic significance of light lies in its influence on the functions
of vision. The main functions of vision are visual acuity (the ability of the eye to
distinguish two points as isolated at the smallest possible distance between them),
contrast sensitivity (the ability to distinguish the degree of brightness), the speed of
discrimination (the minimum time to establish the size and shape of a detail), and the
stability of clear vision (the time of clear vision of an object).
The physiological level of vision is individual within certain limits, but always

depends on the illumination, the color of the background and detail, the size of the

working parts, etc.

In low light conditions, visual fatigue occurs quickly and performance

decreases. For example, during visual work for 3 hours at 30–50 lux, the stability of
clear vision decreases by 37%, while at 100–200 lux, it decreases by only 10–15%.
Hygienic standards for illumination of workplaces are established in accordance
with the physiological characteristics of visual functions. Creating sufficient natural
illumination in rooms is of great hygienic importance.

Natural lighting of premises is possible not only from direct sunlight, but
also from diffused and reflected light from the sky and the earth's surface.
Natural illumination of rooms depends on the orientation of light openings to
the cardinal points. Orientation of windows to the southern points contributes to
longer insolation of rooms than orientation to the northern points. With eastern
orientation of windows, direct sunlight penetrates the room in the morning hours,
with western orientation, insolation is possible in the second half of the day.

The intensity of solar illumination of the premises is also affected by

darkening by nearby buildings or green spaces. If the sky is not visible through the
window, then direct sunlight does not penetrate the premises, lighting is provided
only by diffused rays, which worsens the sanitary characteristics of the premises.
With southern orientation of the premises, solar radiation inside the premises
is 25% of the external one; with other orientations it decreases to 16%.
On the windowsill with the window open, the intensity of ultraviolet radiation
is 50% of the total amount of ultraviolet rays outside; in a room at a distance of 1 m
from the window, ultraviolet radiation is reduced.
It decreases by another 25–20% and at a distance of 2 m it does not exceed 2–
3% of the ultraviolet rays outside.
Dense development of the block, close arrangement of houses leads to even
greater loss of solar radiation, including its ultraviolet part. The rooms located on the
lower floors are shaded the most, and to a lesser extent - the rooms on the upper
floors. Some construction and architectural factors affect the illumination of natural
light - the design of light openings, shading construction and architectural details, the
color of the walls of the building, etc. The cleanliness of the glass is of great
importance. Dirty glass, especially with double glazing, reduces natural illumination
to 50-70%.

Modern urban planning takes these factors into account. Large light
openings, the absence of shading details, and the light coloring of houses create
favorable conditions for good natural lighting of living spaces.