LEDs Make Human-Centric Lighting Possible
November 13, 2020
Last Updated
Lighting is more than just illumination. It’s one of the primary elements in our life experience that allows us to create, interact and simply observe the world around us.
Human-centric lighting (HCL) is a concept that leverages elements of lighting design. HCL recommendations can help us augment the power of illumination in a way that maximizes our mood, productivity, and ability to communicate.
LEDs and Human-Centric Lighting
Besides being more efficient, cost-effective and beneficial to the environment, LED lighting can facilitate HCL concepts. Along with expert placement using interior design methodology, LEDs can be further customized through dimming and color-tuning to optimize their effect in the workplace and at home.
Tuning the lighting colour requires an understanding of colour temperature. Expressed in kelvins, it is a measurement of the warmth or coolness of light, with “warm” lights measuring in at under 5000 K while “cool” lights measure in at over 5000 K.
Lighting that is excessively “cool”, such as older-model fluorescent lighting, can be jarring on the nervous system. This effect can be seen specifically in school children with conditions like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and some learning disabilities. Some of these kids experience negative symptoms like headaches that have been attributed to the narrow spectrum emitted by fluorescent lighting.
LED Lighting is an HCL-Friendly Option
Advancements in LEDs can help drive HCL principles forward. These include reducing or eliminating flicker, high-color rendering, options to control brightness and the ability to shift the color temperature according to the time of day.
Options to customize and tune LEDs offer an extensive list of benefits that include:
• Aligning our circadian rhythm - the “internal clock” that governs our sleep/wake and metabolic cycles
• Boosting productivity through cooler temperatures
• Calming the nervous system through warmer temperatures
• Better quality sleep
• Reduced headaches and tension (when compared to fluorescent lights)
These benefits of HCL can extend to almost every aspect of our lives, improving the overall quality of life on a holistic level.
Applications of Human-Centric Lighting
HCL principles can be applied in several industry sectors for benefits that extend from productivity to the mental and physical wellbeing of employees.
Health/Wellness Sectors
HCL principles can be applied to workspaces in hospitals to boost alertness, productivity and focus. Accordingly, lighting temperatures can be customized in recovery rooms to enhance relaxation and promote wellness among patients.
Commercial/Industrial Workspaces
As mentioned earlier, some health disorders among school children are linked to the excessive blue tones found in fluorescent lighting. These issues can also extend to adults in the workplace - whether it’s an office, commercial or industrial setting. Simulating natural light can help cultivate a healthier mental and physical environment for workers continuously exposed to these narrow spectrums of light.
Residential Spaces
Many health disorders, such as insomnia, headaches and tension, are linked to excessive blue light - especially during the evening hours. LED lights that offer “smart” features that allow users to adjust the colour temperature are an innovative solution to this issue.
Upgrading to LEDs Offers Multiple Benefits
Besides the benefits of HCL, an investment in LEDs can pay itself off fast through massive savings in energy costs.
Radiance Energy can help finance your investment with terms that range from 3-7 years. The savings add up so quickly that it pays itself off faster than most people realize!
Schedule an audit today with one of our experts. We can show you how our advanced LED technology can bring human-centric lighting principles into your life - all while saving money and benefitting the planet.
