Plus, a look at Savant and Lutron for Commercial Use
If you’re considering an office remodel in 2019, perhaps lighting should rank higher on your priority list. When surveyed by the American Society of Interior Design, nearly 70 percent of employees voiced dissatisfaction with their office’s lighting. Clearly, human-centric lighting improves morale and productivity, which directly affect your business’ bottom line.
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Lighting and Stress
Improper lighting presents a mental health issue in the modern workplace. Fluorescent lighting naturally reduces the body’s production of cortisol, the hormone we use to manage stress. Without this natural aid, employees might overreact to tension because their bodies have triggered a “fight or flight” response to their cortisone deficit.
As Guillaume Vidal, CEO of Green Creative, says, “The sterile, bright office lights that are so common in the corporate world are terrible for mental health. The degree to which you can fabricate natural light in an office is invaluable. It can transform the workplace from a cold, unnatural place, to a warm, inviting space for creativity and collaboration.”
LEDs, Please
A positive solution? LED lighting adapts to commercial smart systems and works with circadian rhythm programs to give employees the light they need, right on schedule. We’d also like to note that they save companies like yours up to 40 percent per bill over fluorescent lighting.
The Wrong Temperature
We talked about light that feels “unnatural,” and most of that artificial feel stems from illumination that doesn’t match our body’s rhythms. We measure light in Kelvins, and the number of Kelvins determines whether light is considered warm or cool. For reference, Higher color temperatures (4,600K or more) appear blue-white and are called cool or daylight colors. Mid-range color temperatures (3,100K–4,600K) look cool white, without blue tones. Lower color temperatures (up to 3,000K) range from red to yellowish-white and are called warm colors.
Employees need all to experience various lighting temperatures throughout the workday, but timing is everything. In the morning, for example, employees need cool light to enhance productivity, especially to power through a gloomy day outside. Warm lighting might alleviate a tense client meeting.
Commercial lighting requirements may vary if you’re office operates outside traditional hours too. For this reason, many executives opt for custom commercial solutions that each employee, or maybe designated people, can control themselves. Talk to Elevated Integration about your unique business needs, and we’ll start devising a customized plan.
Lutron Lighting
Lutron has led the way in customized lighting solutions. This past year, they acquired Ketra, the pioneer in tunable lighting, to extend their client base.
To use a local example of Lutron’s commercial success, The New York Times office reduced their lighting expenses by $600,000 by using Lutron’s Quantum system. Lutron also boasts some of the most advanced motorized shades, which cut costs by harvesting natural daylight and heat. Shades minimize glare, a necessary addition in an office filled with computers and presentation screens.
Savant Solutions
Savant’s partnership with USAI lead to their next-generation Savant Pro offerings. With Savant Pro, you can set up lighting scenes and shift among millions of light colors that you can program from a Savant app. Savant Pro does require professional installation, and Elevated Integration wants to help you experience the unparalleled user-friendliness of Savant. We can also help you install other lighting fixtures to boost your office space, including downlighting, pendants and more.
Bright Ideas for Your Business
Lighting control helps you strike a balance that benefits your office’s work and cash flow, but this sophisticated process requires a professional lighting provider and an installer such as Elevated Integration. Call us today at 212-634-9091 or visit us online to bring natural, mood-boosting illumination to your New York office.