Reading Science, Writing to Society: Can LEDs and Daylighting be effective lighting solutions in low-income homes?

Can LEDs and Daylighting be effective lighting solutions in low-income homes?

Have you ever stopped to think about the type of lighting in your home? The average household does not think much about what lights their homes from day to day. Proper lighting, however, can make a space feel comfortable and safe [1]. In low-income households, even less attention is given to lighting, creating an uncomfortable and unwelcoming environment. LEDs and daylighting can be the solution to making a house feel like a home.

LEDs and daylighting are technologies that provide cost-effective, sustainable, and comfortable lighting in low-income homes. Lighting technologies like these are typically saved for high-income households. Adequate lighting should not be limited to high-income homes; it should be a basic component in housing.

A common misconception about lighting for low-income homes is that adequate lighting is reserved for high-income projects. That is not true. Although barriers can prevent low-income families from adopting adequate lighting, it is still possible.

How LEDs provide an energy-efficient solution

Lighting is an essential part in powering human health and well-being [2]. Typically, low-income households spend more on energy and electricity bills than middle- and higher-income homes. This is because when new technologies or studies come out, higher-income homes have access to them first, whereas low-income homes are usually the last to adopt them. This leads many low-income homes to still use incandescent lighting, which has a shorter lifespan and wastes energy and money [3].

Another factor that contributes to low-income families still using older, less-efficient appliances is cost. Since low-income areas have less access to LEDs, the price of them is significantly higher than just buying outdated technologies like incandescent bulbs [4].

Figure 1. LEDs can help light houses using less energy. Photo by Joshua Kettle on Unsplash.

Studies suggest that when low-income households are given access to LEDs, electricity demand goes down, and families are able to save money. For example, a study that looked at low-income households in Detroit, Michigan found that most households rely on outdated lighting, causing them to spend around twice as much as high-income homes on utility costs [5]. However, when these families were given access to LEDs, they were able to save money and economically benefit from the energy savings. LEDs provided these families with a cost-effective solution to outdated appliances, which cost a significant amount of money.

Unfortunately, low-income households are still susceptible to barriers in adopting LEDs because of a lack of communication and advocacy. In many low-income homes, there is a limited understanding of energy patterns and efficient lighting [6]. This causes families to depend on older, less efficient lighting methods. Education on energy-efficient practices is essential for the widespread adoption of LEDs. Low-income homes would benefit greatly from new forms of lighting technology like LEDs as they help save money and energy, whereas older lighting methods do not.

Luckily, programs like MaxLite have the goal of educating and helping low-income families adopt LEDs. Overall, this program looks to help families save over $1.5 billion in energy bills [7]. Education on efficient lighting methods is the primary way for low-income families to adopt LEDs.

Another route of LED solutions includes smart lighting, which is an LED that connects to technologies like phones or home devices. This solution provides an even more sustainable approach to LEDs. As cities continue to grow, so does the need to help low-income homes have access to efficient lighting [8].

Daylighting can provide a passive solution

Daylighting is essential for humans to live well, as it helps regulate circadian rhythms and sleep cycles [9]. Within society, daylighting holds great importance in interior spaces, as it provides health benefits and is visually pleasing [10]. Without good daylighting, low-income families struggle with the comfort of a space [11]. This is why it is so important to maintain sufficient daylighting levels.

When thinking about daylighting, the design of a space becomes important. This is because without suitable orientation, infrastructure, and placement, daylight can be lost or overwhelm a space [12]. As urban cities continue to grow, low-income buildings become disadvantaged as buildings around them block daylight, making spaces less comfortable.

Figure 2. Daylighting can help reduce the need for electric lighting during the day. Photo by Matthew LeJune on Unsplash.

Low-income homes in India, Brazil, Singapore, and Nigeria all struggle with daylight in spaces as either governments neglect them entirely, or new buildings obstruct daylight. To combat this, researchers suggest developing lighting methods early in the design process of a building. It is much easier to reorient a building or its windows early in the design process so inhabitants can access adequate daylight.

For example, a study that looked at daylighting levels in affordable homes in India found that the infrastructure is not made to support proper daylighting. While India’s climate zone has a significant amount of sunlight, low-income families struggle to keep proper levels of daylight in their homes. Researchers suggested a whole redesign of the buildings so families could access the positive effects of daylighting [13]. While this suggests an extreme change, it points out how low-income homes are not usually designed to support adequate daylighting.

All humans benefit significantly from daylight in their homes. It not only helps with sleep cycles but also supports mood regulation. No matter if a project is for high or low-income families, all designs should account for daylight as a design factor.

Educating low-income families on the natural benefits of daylighting is an important aspect in helping them receive proper daylighting in their homes. Without proper knowledge, it can be easy to overlook daylighting as just a nice feature in a home. While daylighting can be used as a design element, it is also essential for the natural cycles of humans, which are important to maintain.

The best solution is combining LEDs and daylighting

While LEDs and daylighting provide useful solutions to lighting low-income homes, together they offer a better solution. LEDs and daylighting are not only sustainable, but also energy-efficient lighting methods. Together, they can create substantial energy savings and visual comfort for families.

Despite the benefits of LEDs, some have unnecessary glare and harsh light levels. Adding daylighting to a space with LEDs allows for comfort and energy savings where the other one lacks. This can be done by utilizing daylight throughout the day and using LEDs at night or in areas of a home that do not have access to daylight.

In the daylighting studies looked at, design played a key role in having optimal daylight. In situations where buildings cannot be reoriented, LEDs can provide adequate light to a space that has scarce daylight. Both LEDs and daylighting can benefit from each other in places they fall short, giving low-income families cost-effective solutions to lighting.

Although the perfect lighting solution does not exist, taking advantage of the benefits of LEDs and daylighting results in an effective solution.

The way forward

Education on LEDs and daylighting is the primary way that low-income homes will have access to these technologies. Adequate lighting is a basic component in housing, and education is the way it is achieved.

As LEDs become more widely used, they continue to improve through lower power consumption, lower cost, and long lifespans [14]. This makes them suitable for low-income households. While many low-income homes still do not have access to LEDs, LEDs are replacing most other lighting technologies, creating hope that low-income homes will have access too.

Daylighting continues to advance as well. The more daylight is studied, the more benefits are discovered about its natural effects on humans. Things like good sleep and wake cycles are dependent on access to daylight. Advancements for daylighting in a space come from orientation and window placement.

Together, these technologies are moving efficient lighting forward in low-income homes. As governments, designers, and researchers continue to advocate and speak up for lighting in low-income homes, LEDs and daylighting continue to advance. If you are a homeowner, look around your house at the lighting. You may just find a new solution that saves money and makes your home more comfortable.

References:

[1] H. Allamsyah, C. D. Pebrian, and B. Paramita, “Identification of Natural Lighting Quality in Several Development Types of Subsidy House †.,” Eng. Proc., vol. 53, p. 47, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.3390/IOCBD2023-15175.

[2] A. Pillarisetti et al., “Household energy use and health in low-income and middle-income countries,” Lancet Glob. Health, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. e612–e625, Apr. 2026, doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(26)00002-1.

[3] A. Liang, “Shedding Light: The Role of Public Utility Commissions in Encouraging Adoption of Energy Efficient Lighting by Low-Income Households Student Note,” Columbia J. Environ. Law, vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 333–374, 2013.

[4] T. G. Reames, M. A. Reiner, and M. B. Stacey, “An incandescent truth: Disparities in energy-efficient lighting availability and prices in an urban U.S. county,” Appl. Energy, vol. 218, pp. 95–103, May 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.02.143.

[5] M. W. Miller et al., “Energy-Efficient Upgrades in Urban Low-Income Multifamily Housing: Energy Burdens and Lessons Learned for Best Sustainability Practices,” Sustainability, vol. 17, no. 12, p. 5464, Jun. 2025, doi: 10.3390/su17125464.

[6] M. Makwanda, M. Juma, and M. A. Kusekwa, “Assessment of Energy Consumption Patterns in Urban Residential Buildings: A Case Study of Low-Income Households in Ilala District.,” East Afr. J. Eng. EAJE, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 353–370, Jul. 2025, doi: 10.37284/eaje.8.2.3974.

[7] “MaxLite Distributes ENERGY STAR Certified LED Bulbs to Low-Income Families in Support of Light the Moment Campaign.,” ThomasNet News, pp. 1–1, 20171102.

[8] K. Charan Sabat and S. S. Bhattacharyya, “Smart Lighting Solutions for Affordable Housing Projects: Bridging the Gap Between Intelligent Systems and Sustainability,” Int. Soc. Sci. J., vol. 76, no. 259, pp. 9–25, 2026, doi: 10.1111/issj.12589.

[9] “Daylight distribution in the living rooms of four types of public housing building in Singapore.” Accessed: Jun. 03, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epdf/10.1191/1477153503li085oa

[10] F. Sharp, D. Lindsey, J. Dols, and J. Coker, “The use and environmental impact of daylighting,” J. Clean. Prod., vol. 85, pp. 462–471, Dec. 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.03.092.

[11] M. Abdulkareem, S. Al-Maiyah, and M. Cook, “Remodelling facade design for improving daylighting and the thermal environment in Abuja’s low-income housing,” Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., vol. 82, pp. 2820–2833, Feb. 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2017.10.010.