How will automated smart lighting systems revolutionise our workplaces in the future? LEDVANCE offers its predictions.
Long before this year’s pandemic struck, the team at LEDVANCE had noticed a trend towards more workplaces moving over to smart automated lighting systems.
One of the reasons behind this is that the choice of products is amazing – smart lamps in a wide variety of shapes, smart luminaires, products for indoor and outdoor use or plugs for integrating conventional light sources into more advanced systems.
Using Bluetooth, ZigBee, an App or voice control, office lights can easily be adapted to suit the changing workplace, especially as more of us now have an office at home. The unprecedented times we’re living in have already shone a light on the hygiene hazards that come from multiple hands touching a shared light switch, but there’s many other reasons for workplaces to adopt these smart systems.
Circadian rhythms
Firstly, automated systems provide managers with the valuable opportunity to adapt workplace lighting to workers’ circadian rhythms. The circadian rhythm is our 24-hour body clock that governs natural cycles of activity and rest by managing hormone levels.
Humans are known to be heavily influenced by variations in natural light throughout the course of the day. A human oriented lighting concept such as BIOLUX HCL uses smart controllable LED lighting systems to simulate the characteristics of natural daylight, combining the visual and non-visual biological effects of light.
Artificial light that synchronises with our circadian rhythms is proven to make us happier, healthier and more productive not only in office scenarios, but also classrooms, warehouses and health facilities. Once the timings of the workday have been touchlessly programmed, an automated lighting system can co-ordinate with our own natural rhythms, providing an optimum workspace.
It has been scientifically proven that workspaces which use human centric lighting systems have improved employee wellbeing, concentration and reduced staff sickness.
LED upgrades
Furthermore, smart lighting installations require offices to transition their lighting to LED luminaires, which are significantly more efficient than traditional incandescent or fluorescent lights.
Too many workspaces are lagging behind and still using yesterday’s inefficient energy-hungry lighting, at the expense of reduced financial cost. Moreover, the fluorescent lighting that many workspaces and facilities are settling for contains harmful mercury gases and produces a yellow-tinged lighting, which can cause migraines and eye strain amongst workers.
An upgrade to SMART lighting brings an office up-to-date with 21st century technology, improving employee health and wellbeing in the process.
Energy savings
In addition, lights that aren’t switched on all the time and tailored to the individual requirements of an office provide excellent energy savings. Luminaires can be programmed with the start and end times of a working day to illuminate the office only when necessary. They can be further programmed to turn themselves off when a room or floor of an office is unoccupied.
Besides convenience, these systems eradicate unnecessary cost from a light being left on accidentally overnight, consequently saving employees time when they leave. Smart lighting systems achieve ultimate energy efficiency by protecting themselves against our own human inefficiency.
When considering the benefits of automated lighting systems to their workplaces, facilities managers will generally note convenience and cost benefits. However, these systems can have an additional positive impact on employee wellbeing and productivity as well.
In short, an upgrade to automated lighting can revolutionise how we work.
View the LEDVANCE Bioxlux Human Centric Lighting brochure by clicking here
