The subjects who received sufficient light – either daylight or artificial – to stimulate their body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, were able to fall asleep more quickly at bedtime, and experienced better quality sleep.
Office workers who receive bright light in the morning have better sleep and lower levels of stress than those who receive low light levels, scientists have discovered.
The subjects who received sufficient light – either daylight or artificial – to stimulate their body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, were able to fall asleep more quickly at bedtime, and experienced better quality sleep. They also reported lower levels of stress and depression.
The finding was consistent during both summer and winter. The scientists, working at the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York state, recorded each subject’s daily circadian stimulus or CS, the calculated effectiveness of light’s impact on the circadian system. It ranges from 0.1, the threshold for circadian system activation, to 0.7, the response saturation.
The team, led by Dr. Mariana Figueiro, found that office workers receiving a morning CS of at least 0.3, regardless of source, had stronger circadian rhythms, than those receiving a morning CS of 0.15 or less.
At bedtime, participants receiving low CS lay in bed for approximately 45 minutes before they could actually fall asleep, which can lead to reduced sleep duration for those with a fixed wake time.
The study included 109 participants at five office buildings across America. Each study participant wore a Daysimeter, a research tool developed by the LRC in 2004, and used in frequent studies to measure the amount of CS a person actually receives, along with their activity patterns. Each participant was asked to wear the Daysimeter as a pendant for seven consecutive days during data collection periods in winter, between December and February, and again in summer, between late May and August. Data collection was conducted between 2014 and 2016.
‘Our study shows that exposure to high CS during the day, particularly in the morning, is associated with better overall sleep quality and mood scores than exposure to low CS,’ Figueiro told Lux. ‘The present results are a first step toward promoting the adoption of new, more meaningful metrics for field research, providing new ways to measure and quantify circadian-effective light.’
‘We are supporting this type of research so we can learn more about the connections between lighting and health,’ said Bryan Steverson with GSA. ‘The data from this research will help support our efforts in developing new lighting practices that can optimize health benefits for federal employees working in our federal buildings.’
The results will be seized on by proponents of so-called human-centric lighting, in which artificial lighting levels and colour are manipulated during the day to better harmonise with our natural circadian rhythms.
Critics of the lit environment in the nation’s commercial workplaces say the sector lacks creativity
A THIRD of Britain’s office workers hate their lighting, a study by the respected pollsters Ipsos has discovered.
Some 32 per cent of white-collar employees told the researchers that they were unhappy with the light intensity, with only a fifth were able to alter the light level.
The results are sure to bolster critics of the lit environment in the nation’s commercial workplaces, who have slammed the sector for a lack of creativity. Top lighting designer Paul Nulty, founder of Nulty+, tweeted: ‘Bad lighting effects workplace productivity. Who’d have thought!?’
UK offices still have a preponderance of so-called Category 2 lights – recessed, deeply-louvred fittings designed to minimise reflections on computer screens – which deliver a gloomy environment.
The study of over 12,000 workers across 17 countries showed that the UK workers are the least satisfied with their office ambience. The study appeared to add weight to the argument that local lighting control boosts employee engagement and satisfaction, as the biggest issue was a lack of control. Only 39 per cent of respondents say they can adjust the temperature, while a mere 21 per cent can alter the lighting.
The so-called Category 2 light fixture has long dominated the UK’s offices, but its deep louvres are no longer necessary to prevent reflections on computer screens. Picture: Andrew Malone
‘This could be seriously affecting the concentration, productivity and engagement levels of workers, with the study showing that a lack of flexibility and control over the physical work environment correlates with a lack of engagement’, the study said. In contrast, highly engaged employees are those that have the most flexibility over how and where they work.
The situation in the UK is likely to be influenced by the country’s dominance of open-plan design, with 49 per cent of workers based in this kind of space due to its cost-saving benefits. However, this can limit employees’ individual control over their environment.
Christine Congdon, director of Global Research Communication told Lux: ‘Our research has consistently shown that the most engaged workers are those who have autonomy over how and where they work, whether adjusting the temperature, lighting, or workspace to suit their needs. ‘When people feel like they have choice and control over various aspects of their physical work environment, it leads to greater satisfaction overall.
‘Everybody is different and personal preference will depend on an individual’s natural physiology, their mood on a particular day and the task they are working on. To cater to these constantly changing needs, employers should pay more attention to providing a range of working environments, including the ability to adjust workspace basics as required.’
The study was commissioned by office furniture manufacturer Steelcase.
Lighting can do a lot to assist partially sighted people.
The Equality Act 2010 is intended to protect partially sighted people from unfair treatment in employment and when accessing public services. But what more can be done with light to make life a little more equable for those with disabilities? In particular, how can light be best utilised to benefit partially sighted people?
Colour Contrast
Use colour to highlight differences between objects and surfaces, making it easier to negotiate a complex space. For example, in a white-tiled bathroom have the bathroom furniture in a different colour.
Use different colours to highlight circulation routes from functional space (retail spaces, open-plan offices etc).
Paint door frames a different colour to the doors and walls.
Consider a different colour for door handles.
Ensure that railings on stairs are a different colour to the walls, likewise the banisters.
It is important to be able to pick out the edge of steps so use a contrasting strip or nosing.
Glass doors and windows need to be visible, so consider the use of brightly coloured designs where vertical glazing is accessible to passers-by.
Lighting
Increase light levels in areas such as stairs and level changes in areas like the kitchen and the bathrooms. There may be an aesthetic challenge in achieving this, but new low-energy LED sources can deliver high light levels from relatively small fixtures.
Introduce additional light fixtures in areas where spatial definition is important.
Make sure that light is in the places where it needs to be. Use the efficiency of localised lighting to assist in visual tasks, especially in places like kitchens and at work stations.
Make the best use of natural light, but be aware of the potential problems that an over-bright blind can cause by ‘bleaching’ the rest of the surroundings.
Make sure that any exterior lighting acts as a ‘way-marker’ as well as providing illumination. A line of light points can be more helpful than an illuminated pathway.
Use light as a defining element in areas of the building where there are objects or furniture that protrude into circulation routes.
Consider the impact of emergency lighting should the normal electrical supply fail. Escape lighting should assist in finding the route to safety for everyone.
The Equality Act 2010 requires employers to provide individual lighting provision to any employee requiring it.
Anyone registered as blind or partially-sighted automatically meets the Equality Act’s definition of a disabled person. Anyone with a sight loss that has a ‘substantial and long-term effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’ may qualify for registration. In these circumstances, the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 must be met.
Scottish start-up creates first ever Li-fi office in Paris. PLUS The German rail network installs one million luminaires to cut energy use by 25 percent. AND The American Medical Association warns that outdoor LEDs may damage health. Lux Today 28 June 2016.
The Time Square office building in Bracknell is home to Bracknell Forest Council. The building is typical of many UK office blocks and required a complete refurbishment, including a lighting upgrade.
The old lighting comprised 1x58W switchstart luminaires with cat 2 louvres arranged in rows within a metal plank ceiling across the office space. The luminaire design combined with old technology meant the ceiling and walls appeared very dark, creating a gloomy effect below the optimum lighting specification for offices.
Two schemes were put forward for consideration: 1x55W TC-L with high frequency dimmable
control gear and 1x42W LED with dimmable gear. The latter scheme was chosen with the contemporary recessed Quattro LED luminaire because it offered maximum energy savings. In comparison to the existing 1x58W switchstart luminaire, Quattro LED offered a 37% energy saving on connected load. Significantly, over a 12-year period, Quattro LED also offered an energy and maintenance saving of £45,543 compared to the fluorescent alternative.
Lighting controls further increase energy savings
Part of the upgrade also included the installation of daylight and presence lighting controls using Sensa Link to ensure the lighting uses the minimum amount of energy required to meet the new design specification. The new lighting levels have been designed to achieve 450 lux on the working plane with sensors programmed to dim the lights in groups according to daylight and occupancy. With the inclusion of lighting controls, lighting is only used when required, increasing the energy savings over and above the 37% achieved by upgrading to LED.
Comfortable lighting fit for the environment
The office lighting has been brought up to the latest lighting standards to support the wide variety of
office-based tasks. With excellent colour rendition and superb light quality, the Quattro LED luminaires have transformed the working environment into a bright, vibrant space. The office is now a comfortable place to work, facilitating everyday tasks such as reading, writing and working with a computer screen, as well as clear communication between people As well as the lighting technology upgrade, the office has also been redecorated. This has increased the reflected light within the space and in turn creates further energy savings.
As part of the refurbishment, the emergency lighting has also been upgraded to LED using the Thorn Voyager LED series range. The addition of Explorer emergency lighting controls give a central emergency testing facility across the building.
Controls used
Sensa Link controls
Explorer emergency controls
Key Facts
Energy consumption reduced by 37%
450 lux
Colour rendition: Ra80
The humble Cat 5 cable – now capable of carrying power to your lights as well as data
Lux reports: LED lighting is helping buildings around the world slash their electricity bills because the amount of energy needed to run LEDs is so much lower than that consumed by traditional forms of lighting.
But lower energy consumption isn’t just about saving money and being kind to the environment. It’s starting to demonstrate other benefits too.
The electrical load of LED sources is now so low that you don’t even need mains cables to power them – you can use standard network cables, so it’s easier and cheaper to connect and control your lights.
This technology is called ‘power over Ethernet’ (PoE) and, as the name suggests, it’s a way of providing power for electrical equipment through Ethernet cables – the same ones that already form the backbone of the IT network in your office.
Ethernet uses ‘cat 5’ (or more recently cat 5e or cat6) cables – the kind you plug into your router, with the plastic clip on the end that clicks into place.
Cat 5 cables are really designed to carry data, not power. But as long as the load is below a certain wattage (up to about 60W at the moment) they can power and communicate with devices at the same time. Which turns out to be really useful.
So what are the advantages for lighting? Well, everyone knows that wiring up a new lighting system can be an expensive headache, and to install a control system, you’ll need yet another network of wires up in the ceiling, along with the power cables.
If you want control but can’t face all that wiring, you’ve got three options: send the data wirelessly (using specially equipped drivers), send the data over your power cables (using power-line communication, offered by the likes of Lumenpulse and Echelon), or send the power over your data cables – in other words, PoE.
The great thing about using cat 5 cables for this kind of thing is that they’re cheap to buy and even cheaper to install – no need for an electrician, just click the cables into place and you’re away. Philips, one of the suppliers of power over Ethernet systems for lighting, reckons installation is up to 25 per cent cheaper than conventional wiring.
But that’s just the beginning – the real savings are in the longer term.
The next big advantage is the level of intelligence that an Ethernet-based control system can bring. Every light becomes a point on a network, with its own IP address. That makes it easy to control and monitor them (including remotely over the web), and if your light fittings incorporate presence sensors, temperature sensors, light sensors and so on, you can track that data too.
PoE brings lighting into the ‘internet of things’, allowing you to connect your lighting to other devices and systems in the building, such as heating, ventilation, IT services and security. The facilities manager has a single system that shows exactly how the building is being used.
Up and running
Philips already has a PoE lighting control system up and running at a new Amsterdam office building occupied by accountancy firm Deloitte.
UK-company Prolojik also has a power over Ethernet system, Light Matrix, that it sells with luminaire makers Future Designs and Phi Lighting. The system is installed in a meeting room at the offices of PricewaterhouseCoopers in central London, to power and control 20 direct/indirect luminaires.
Other companies working on PoE for lighting include Iowa-based Innovative Lighting and California’s Nuleds.
To use Prolojik’s power over Ethernet system, you need a black box called an Ethernet switch, which converts AC mains power to the DC that goes through the cat 5 cables (achieving 10 per cent efficiency savings over a standard setup where mains power goes all the way to the driver, Prolojik says). Once the switch is installed, the electrician’s work is done. It can power up to 3kW of lighting: it has ports for 48 cables, each of which can be used to power and control 60W of lighting – enough for maybe one or two luminaires each. Any luminaires rated up to 60W can be used with the system, although it does require Prolojik’s Dali drivers.
Mark Vincent, commercial director of Prolojik, says the ease of installation is a big draw for clients. ‘When we’ve been presenting this, I’ve been apologising to electricians and contractors, because we’re taking their business away,’ he says. But the real benefits are in fully addressable control of lights, and the long-term energy-efficiency benefits.
As with Prolojik’s system, the Philips system works with third-party luminaires, and talks to any existing control systems that may already be installed in a building. Philips’ PoE system is based on a network of small Ethernet switches, so it can be scaled from powering a handful of luminaires to 1,000 of them.
Jeff Cassis, senior VP of global lighting solutions at Philips Lighting, says: ‘You can extract whatever data you want, whenever you want. Not only can you monitor energy consumption per light source, you have this really granular ability to look at what’s happening on my floor or building, aggregate that and understand how people are using the spaces. If you have multiple sites or buildings, you can look at how different buildings are managed. You could see how to use certain areas better, cool areas down that aren’t being used and make extra savings due to occupancy.’
Modern offices are increasingly dominated by display screen technology. Whilst appreciable quantities of paper documents are still in use they are normally in association with computers, and this balance is gradually moving toward increasing display screen use and decreasing quantities of written or printed text. A side-effect of this is the reduction in the amount of filing requirements as documents are stored on a computer disk.
This has resulted in a change in office furnishings with fewer storage cabinets and an increase in technology, and also in a fundamental shift in task position, from predominantly horizontal documents to predominantly vertical display screens.
Additionally in many offices collaborative working is encouraged where formal or informal face-to-face discussions occur to consider short-term issues or long-term plans.
Building design has also developed as energy costs and sustainability issues gain importance, resulting in a high proportion of modern office space receiving significant levels of daylight.
Best practice
These changes impact all aspects of the design of modern office building services including artificial lighting. Lighting must be designed to prevent disturbing reflections on display screens, requiring a high level of optical control and technical competence in luminaire design. Lighting must also provide adequate illuminance to occupant’s faces, modelling features sympathetically and therefore allowing good visual as well as aural communication. This interplay of display screen versus human requirements needs careful planning of a lighting installation to produce a fulfilling space suitable for the task. Recommendations for lighting for DSE and also for modelling of faces and vertical surfaces are provided in the European Standard EN 12464-1:2011 Light and lighting – Lighting of work places Part 1: Indoor work places.
EN12464-1 provides recommended illuminance levels for a variety of office tasks. These illuminance values are task related and best practice is to layer the lighting levels, balancing the level on the task, the level on the surrounding area and the level on the background. It has been shown that the perception of how light or gloomy a space appears is based upon a 40° band in front of the viewer. This is generally the room walls and a portion of the ceiling. It is therefore important that room surfaces are lit to prevent a gloomy, oppressive ambience and EN 12464-1:2011 recommends an average illuminance of 75lx on the walls and 50lx on the ceiling.
Taking control
Supplying comfortable and effective light is not the same as supplying controlled and energy-efficient light. A lighting system should interact with the space, dimming in response to increasing levels of daylight, turning on or off in response to occupancy within the space, and with increasing use of technology, especially within meetings, allow lighting scenes to be set to provide the optimal conditions for the task at hand. Lighting should be an integral part of the office ambience, giving a calm or lively atmosphere dependant upon the needs of the task and space, providing a fulfilling workplace for people to enjoy and be stimulated in, benefiting both the individual and the business.
Call us today to discuss your office lighting needs, tel: 0208-540-8287, or email: sales@novelenergylighting.com. We supply a full range of LED panels, tubes, and downlights suited to office requirements. Visit us at www.novelenergylighting.com to explore our range of Thorn LED products.
Lux reports: Ringing the changes: connected lighting using PoE technology means office workers can adjust the lighting to suit their preference
Philips and Cisco have formed a global strategic alliance that will combine Philips’ LED based connected lighting system with Cisco’s IT network to address a global office market estimated to be worth EUR 1 billion. The Alliance is designed to bring the benefits of the Internet of Things in offices to facilities managers, building owners and office workers.
The pair will combine Philips’ connected office lighting system using Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology with Cisco’s network technology. Light points in the Philips system, equipped with sensors and software applications, can be connected using Cisco technologies.
The lighting network creates a pathway for information and helps enable new services. The system can provide data to optimise user comfort and improve the office environment and office workers can personalise their lighting via their smartphones.
To showcase how Philips and Cisco can work together to unlock the benefits of the IoT in offices, Cisco is installing a state-of-the-art Philips connected lighting system at its Canadian headquarters in Toronto. Philips and Cisco will also collaborate on a joint go-to-market strategy.
Bill Bien, SVP, head of strategy and marketing, at Philips Lighting, said: “Our alliance has two of the world’s biggest and trusted lighting and connectivity brands working together to bring the Internet of Things to life in offices and commercial buildings across the world. Customers will receive the best energy efficient lighting experience in the connected world and be able to use information acquired from their connected lighting system to save energy, reduce costs, improve productivity and optimise their workspace environment. Lighting that is connected to highly secure, reliable IT infrastructure will form the backbone of the smart office of the future.”
Together Philips and Cisco aim to accelerate adoption of this technology in the market and deliver increased connectivity, comfort and efficiency.
Edwin Paalvast, SVP EMEAR, Cisco and executive sponsor of the Cisco – Philips Alliance, said: “The world is becoming digital, and by working with Philips, we can help building owners more quickly digitise their lighting networks to drive better user experiences and efficiency. By partnering with Philips, we are delivering a reliable PoE-powered LED lighting solution using a highly secure IT network.”
Typically, lighting is responsible for 40 percent of a building’s electricity use. The pair estimate that nearly 80% in energy savings and reduced building maintenance costs can be realized by managing, integrating and controlling a Philips LED connected lighting system through a network with Cisco.
To make offices more comfortable, office workers can personalize and adjust LED lighting to their preferences and tasks. For mobile access, office workers can use a smartphone app to access other building services through a communications network.
“The possibilities of this connected lighting system are endless,” said Richard Lees, senior project manager at CBRE, a commercial real estate and investment services firm. “There are so many capabilities of this system that we haven’t even explored yet.”
Something for everyone: Whether your eyes are fresh out of university, or approaching retirement, Philips Connected Lighting allows you to adjust the office lighting to your needs. Photo is from pcruciatti via Shutterstock
LUX reports: Age discrimination aside, a typical office might house workers ranging from their twenties through sixties. And while it’s no secret that the average set of eyes on a young adult typically functions better than those on an older colleague, office and lighting designers have long ignored the difference.
Enough of that, says Philips, which is calling for ‘personalised lighting in your workplace’ to assure that employees of all ages work under the correct, individualised lighting conditions that allow them not only see (what a concept!) but, even better, to produce.
It’s part of the Dutch giant’s efforts to market its ‘Connected Lighting for offices’, which it first introduced a year ago and which it has showcased at The Edge, the environmentally heralded Amsterdam offices of consulting firm Deloitte. The system allows workers to use smartphone apps that adjust overhead lights individually. The lights are connected to an ethernet network, with each light having its own internet address.
‘A 45+ worker tends to need almost double the light needed by a 20 year old for everyday tasks,’ the Dutch lighting gaint says in a press release. ‘The one-light-for-all principle is outdated at a time when we are all living and working longer. Today 30-50 per cent of people in work are over 45 years old…Over the age of 45, people begin to experience a deterioration of their near-sight vision. Research shows, a 60-year-old person needs between two and five times as much light as a 20-year-old to see the same visual detail, let alone to concentrate.’
The wrong lighting could even undermine health and productivity, Philips says.
‘People often call off sick due to headaches and fatigue,’ notes Bianca van der Zande, principle scientist at Philips Lighting. ‘These symptoms may have many underlying causes but perhaps one of these could be the result of prolonged eye-strain due to poor lighting conditions in their working lives. Inadequate lighting can lead to visual discomfort, neck pain, headaches, fatigue and perhaps eventually sick leave.’
A 2013 survey by Philips found that 90 per cent of people who could adjust desk lamps for brightness and colour temperature reported ‘sharper vision, optimum eye comfort, (and) the ability to see smaller details and improved contrast.’ It was a bit of a foregone conclusion, but the idea now is that ethernet-connected, app-controlled overhead lights can deliver the same benefits.
Philips is also calling for government regulations to mandate individualised lighting.
‘Regulatory bodies should take these findings into account for the well-being and productivity of today’s workforce,” says van der Zande.
‘People spend 80-90 per cent of their time indoors from which around 20 per cent is spent at work so the indoor environment determines to a large extent the comfort and wellbeing of the office employee, influencing their performance. It is important that human-centric lighting becomes a part of the regulatory standards, allowing architects and building designers to advise for the best solutions – not only for offices, but for all building environments.’
At long last, harmony across the generations? That would be a story for the ages.
Visit us at Novel Energy Lighting to discuss your office lighting refit, we offer the full Philips range and can provide lighting design advice as needed
Lux Magazine reports: Let’s say you’re in charge of energy use at the company and you want to take big steps to slash the bill. Who you gonna call? A building insulator? A smart meter salesman? The most common answer is….
‘An LED vendor.’
That’s according to a poll of over 100 UK energy professionals in the public and private sector by Energy Live News (ELN), which asked them to name which measures they took over the last year, and which ones they are planning.
‘LEDs were the most popular choice for energy professionals to save energy over the last year – and they look set to remain favourites for the next 12 months,’ the website reported.
83 percent of respondents said they tapped LED lighting over the last year, and 80 percent said they’ll bring in LEDs over the next 12 months.
The number-two measure both for last year and the upcoming one didn’t even involve outright product purchases, as managers reported that ‘changing culture and behaviour’ was also high on their list (in other words, remember to turn off the efficient new LEDs).
The poll did not specifically ask about new boilers, solar panel installations or building managemet systems, although those did receive write-in votes.
‘Insulation, variable speed drives, AMT or smart meters and energy management systems tied third, each being installed over the last year by around two fifths of energy professionals,’ ELN wrote.
As popular as LEDs were among respondents, they elicited some reality checks from ELN readers in the website’s comments section.
‘When it comes to lighting LED is not quite the panacea for all ills it’s set up to be,’ wrote one.
‘Manufacturers are making grandiose claims about the longevity of these fittings without the evidence to back them up – the technology is so new there just haven’t been the number of hours in a year to claim they’ll last 100,000 hours or whatever they claim.’
To that, another reader shot back, ‘Have you not heard of accelerated testing?’ One fan of LEDs commented that it might still be too early to splash out for them.
‘Buying LED today may not be the best option,’ he said. ‘It might be better to wait a few years when efficacies will be even higher, as in many applications they have the potential to last 20-30 years and in that situation you may be better off with an optimised package that will go the distance.
’
In a cautionary tale, he added, ‘A lot of LED packages are poorly selected/sold and they will be replaced a lot earlier than hoped for.
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Poorly sold? Hmmmm. Sounds like the poll needs a subcateory: Changing the culture and behaviour of vendors.
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Photo: To avoid this sort of utility bill shock, energy managers are turning to LEDs more than anything. Image is from Shutterstock
Comfortable lighting fit for the environment
