Improving Workplace Conditions LED Lighting
In addition to providing energy savings, LED lighting also makes workplaces safer and more productive.
The best office lighting offers a wide range of benefits beyond energy efficiency, which range from making workplaces safer to improving employee motivation and productivity. LED lighting is becoming increasingly popular, with a faster market growth than both renewable energy and electric vehicles, and it could provide nationwide savings of over 30 billion dollars by the year 2027, according to the Department of Energy.
How LED Lighting Makes the Workplaces Safer
There are three main ways in which office LED lights improve safety in commercial and industrial locations:
- LED lighting can restart instantly if the power supply is interrupted. Other types of lighting such as HID lamps are unable to do this, and there is an ongoing risk of leaving personnel in the dark.
- The low power consumption of LED lighting allows it to run on backup power longer than other types of lighting. This can be particularly helpful if there is an emergency situation where a building must be evacuated without having access to the main power supply.
- The optical performance of LED lighting is remarkable, allowing designers to control how much light is emitted and in which directions. This guarantees maximum visibility in workplaces, reducing the risk of an accident.
Other than making workplaces safer, LED fixtures themselves are safer to handle than their less efficient counterparts. Unlike HID bulbs and fluorescent tubes, the vast majority of LED lamps are shatter-free. The reduced energy consumption of LED lighting also results in lower operating temperatures, making it less likely that maintenance personnel will suffer a burn from accidental contact with a lamp.
Improving Productivity and Employee Motivation with LED Lighting
A deficient lighting system can have several negative effects on employee motivation, and by extension on productivity. The versatility of LED lighting allows designers to avoid various issues, such as the following:
- The cavern effect occurs when the lighting system is unable to deliver enough lumens to the ceiling and upper portion of the walls. As implied by its name, this phenomenon can give indoor spaces an ominous appearance, which has been linked with reduced motivation and productivity.
- Glare can occur when a concentrated source of light is directly visible by personnel, or reflected on surfaces such as computer screens. This issue is especially common in commercial or office locations where fluorescent tubes are directly visible.
There are now volumetric troffers that have specially designed geometries and LED light engines, which ensure an even distribution of light and prevent both glare and the cavern effect.
Poor lighting also diminishes productivity for the simple reason that visibility is reduced, making it more difficult for employees to concentrate on the computer work.
LED Lighting Can Adapt to Personal Preferences
No other type of lighting can be controlled as precisely as LED fixtures. There are now products that can be dimmed to any lighting intensity, while also allowing the color temperature to be adjusted according to user preferences. LED lighting allows such a precise degree of control, that each employee can customize lighting conditions at his or her desk.
Improving Corporate Image with LED Lighting
Other than providing energy savings, LED lighting can be used by companies to improve their brand image: a reduced energy consumption translates into lower carbon emissions, all while creating a healthier and safer environment for personnel. In addition, LED upgrades count whenever a company is trying to obtain a LEED certification for its buildings.
How Can a Company Upgrade to LED?
LED products are characterized by their variety, so there are multiple options available for companies planning to carry out a lighting retrofit. Of course, greater variety also means there is a higher chance of making mistakes; hiring professional commercial lighting contractor and lighting design services is highly recommended as a first step for any energy efficiency initiative.
