One of the downturns of the global financial is that we will have to work more years than our parents and grandparents. Therefore, a comfortable working environment is vital and lighting is a major aspect of the working environment.
A 60-year-old employee’s eyes receive only 40 percent as much light as a worker who is 30 to 40 years younger. Lighting is best when tailored to the needs of the individual. This can be achieved by manual override of automated lighting that will allow adjustment of brightness and color according to each employee. Modern lighting control technology can customize lighting preferences for each individual. Why worry so much about employees comfort? Satisfies employees tend to stay in their jobs longer, which consequently saves the company money. New employees need about 13.5 months on the job to achieve maximum performance. As a result, employee turnover costs a business about 1.2 to 2 times the salary allotted for the position. Research indicates that workplace design plays a significant role in employee satisfaction.
The Light Right Consortium looked at six different lighting options in a typical office space in New York. Between 81 percent and 85 percent of employees said they were comfortable with a lighting design that provided direct/indirect lighting and wall washing. By comparison, designs that provided light only from above received a “comfortable rating” from only 69 to 71 percent of study participants. But the combination that the employees liked most included direct/indirect lighting, wall washing and dimming controls that allowed workers to customize their lighting. This design won a “comfortable” rating from 91 percent of employees. .LED lighting technology together with modern lighting controls can achieve such a design. This design won a “comfortable” rating from 91 percent of employees. Lighting is a booming industry. The use of LED lighting, alone, is expected to grow by 30 percent in 2011 and become a $1 billion market by 2014.. Similar growth is occurring in the lighting controls market. Global revenue for lighting controls is rising from $1.3 billion to $2.6 billion by 2016. Businesses, not households, are driving this growth.
Syntegra Consulting is an independent energy consultancy and can source products from major LED lighting manufacturers. The company will specify the optimum light sources for its clients for any specific project. For more information on the Free LED Feasibility Survey, contact Syntegra Consulting Ltd
