Lighting Application Series: Intelligent Office Lighting

This week we’re continuing our Lighting Application Series with a discussion on intelligent office lighting. Office lighting is especially unique, because it has to fulfill several goals simultaneously, including illumination, energy efficiency, employee comfort, and being aesthetically pleasing. Not to mention, lighting requirements vary significantly depending on what area of the office needs illumination. With those things in mind, let’s talk about why you should upgrade and how you can plan a smart office lighting design that not only saves money but enhances the workspace.

Office Lighting

Why Upgrade?

Maybe the lights in your building are working fine — they might flicker a little, have a bit of a yellowish tint, or have a few other quirks, but hey, at least they light the place up. So, why bother upgrading to more modern lamps or fixtures? Here are four reasons:

1. Save Energy and Money

Yes, there can be some significant upfront costs when you decide to retrofit the lights in an entire office building, yet with the energy savings, rebates, and tax incentives, it doesn’t take long to see a return on investment. According to the Building Owners and Operating Managers Association, utility expenses have increased by 9 cents per square foot over the last 14 years, and this trend is rising steadily upwards. Installing energy efficient office lighting — which uses less electricity, is low maintenance, and produces less heat than other bulbs — can help counteract this gradual increase and make a major dent in your monthly electric bills.

2. Adhere to Standards

The US Department of Energy has already enacted energy efficient lighting standards that went totally into effect in early 2014. These standards required manufacturers to phase out old-fashioned, non-efficient bulbs, such as incandescents, for energy-saving products like CFLs and LEDs. Some states, such as California, are taking energy efficiency to the next level by requiring both existing buildings and new construction to adhere to strict energy-efficient practices. Based on the fact that energy consumption of buildings accounts for two-thirds of all electricity use in the US, it won’t be long before other states follow suit with similar mandates.

Anticipating these changes and making the switch early will save you from unanticipated expenses and will likely make you eligible for “early adopter” rebates and incentives.

3. Happier, More Productive Employees

Employees who are working under low quality or improper lighting have to deal with glares, poor contrast with computer screens, flickering, over brightness, harsh illumination, and more. While these issues may seem minor, they can cause headaches, dissatisfaction, or eyestrain, all of which reduce productivity and employee comfort.

On the other hand quality light that incorporates bulbs with outdoor illumination and has dimmers and other controls make it possible to create the ideal level of light for every room, activity, and at any time of day. In turn, employees are more satisfied with their surroundings and can more easily focus on work.

4. Make a Good Impression

Besides showing employees you care about their well-being, upgraded office lighting is more aesthetically pleasing and makes a better impression on clients and other folks who come into the building. Again, while the appearance of your luminaires may seem minor, it’s these little things that makes your business stand out from the competition and win customers.

Also, people will appreciate the fact that you took a step to help the environment by switching to energy efficient office lighting. Many businesses and customers are choosing to spend their money with ethical companies that don’t sacrifice the health of the planet to make profits.

What Type of Lights Does Your Office Need?

Today’s workplaces are more multifaceted than ever before. This means offices may need different types of illumination throughout the building. While a lighting analysis from a professional is the best way to pinpoint an intelligent lighting plan for your office, here are two things to consider:

1. What Lights are Needed in the Building’s Various “Zones?”

Every office has separate zones or areas that serve different purposes and have unique architectural features. When installing functional, energy efficient lighting, it’s not uncommon to have different lighting setups in each of these zones.

For example, a private, exterior-facing office may have optimal results by using a combination of daylighting (more on that below) and moderate overhead fixtures, whereas an open, interior office might do better with suspended lamps which are powerful enough to illuminate an expansive area. Similarly, a long hallway might require a series of bright downlights to illuminate the path, while stylish accent lights might serve well in a window-laden reception area. Some of the other zones that usually have differing lighting needs are collaboration rooms, outdoor areas, and warehouses or backrooms.

2. What Lights will Make Tasks Easier?

In addition to taking into account the zones and what type of natural light is available, it’s also important to consider what tasks are being done in any particular room. Employee workstations, for example, can benefit from lighting controls that allow individuals to adjust light levels and locations based on what they require to optimally perform a particular task.

For instance, media rooms generally need the option for total dimming (to see video presentations, etc.), and lamps or tasklights work well at workstations where people need to illuminate papers or projects. And, by using compact LEDs, you can add light virtually anywhere, including under desks or cabinets, on walls, in alcoves, in corners, and in other tight spaces.

Putting light exactly where you need it and reducing ambient lighting eliminates the over-brightness problem that’s so common in offices, creates a calming work environment, and lowers lighting energy consumption by as much as 50 percent.

Options

When adopting a smart office lighting plan, you have many options, as there is a seemingly endless range of luminaire styles and levels of efficiency. While your personal tastes will be a major deciding factor, here are some recommendations for creating the most functional and intelligent setup:

Daylighting

As its name suggest, daylighting utilizes sunlight that comes through windows and skylights to illuminate your office. Improvements in lighting technology and window insulation have made it possible to open shades and blinds and rely less on artificial light without increasing demands on HVAC systems.

Typically, north-facing windows are the best daylighting candidates, as they emit relatively even light throughout the year and don’t have the intense glares or heat that can come from east- and west-facing windows. If building a new office, you may want to orient the building so most of the windows are on the north and south sides. Still, existing buildings can effectively use daylighting when adjustable shades or blinds are used.

Blinds and Shades

Obviously using blinds and shades to regulate light levels is not a new concept, yet in many offices adjustment rods or cords are inaccessible or viewed as “off-limits.” Consequently, the shades tend to remain forever closed and free, natural light is wasted.

When creating an energy-saving environment, it’s important to make it easy for employees to regulate blinds and encourage them to use natural light when it’s available and helpful.

Alternatively, you can make things even easier by using “smart” window shades that automatically adjust themselves according to the light levels in the room or can be programmed to open and close at specific times.

Lighting Control Systems

Generally the best way to save lighting energy is to remove any guesswork and put all the lights on a central control system. These systems make it possible for lights to turn on or off at scheduled times, to dim or brighten according to the amount of daylight, and to automatically turn off when a room is unoccupied.

With these types of all-inclusive setups, you never have to worry about people turning out lights when they leave a room or remembering to use the dimmer when window shades are open.

Managers can streamline and monitor lighting operations from one screen and can even access the system remotely. This makes it easy to see how energy is being consumed and to detect any performance problems before they become major issues.

LEDs

While there are multiple lighting options that are superior to out-dated, inefficient bulbs, LEDs offer the longest life, biggest energy savings, and flexibility while still providing equal or improved quality light as compared to traditional bulbs. Some operate directly with incandescent or fluorescent fixtures, which means you may not need to do any electrical rewiring.

You can use LEDs for both ambient and localized light, and since they now come with diffusers, there’s no worry your office will look like a bright, impersonal showroom. Instead, it will have natural-looking illumination and create an environment where people feel content and are motivated to collaborate.

Conclusion

In truth, there are few things as important as an office’s lighting. Employees are subjected to it for eight hours or more per day, and it can have a huge impact on their mood, health, and productivity. Also, next to HVAC costs, lighting is the biggest energy expense for most buildings, and using energy-wasting fixtures and bulbs can result in thousands of dollars of unnecessary expenses every month. Creating an intelligent office lighting system by installing LEDs and integrating them with features like daylighting, occupancy sensors, and dimmers is a relatively easy way to take control of energy consumption and give everyone in the building more effective, and eye-pleasing illumination.

One Response to “Lighting Application Series: Intelligent Office Lighting”

  1. JesusDecember 16, 2021 at 5:11 am #

    Good share!

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