Circadian LED Lighting for [city] Business Owners

When commercial LED lighting technology was first­ introduced, no one was anticipating the impact that it would eventually have on human wellness. At first, LED light bulbs were a clever way to reduce energy consumption and cut down on energy bills.

But over the last few years, LED lights have given commercial operators an all-new way to support human health.

How Circadian LED Lighting Leads to Healthier Employees

With circadian lighting, workplace lighting can change color temperature over the course of the day, emulating the natural daylight cycle that is hard-wired into us human beings. This type of natural light cycle has been shown to increase sleep quality, leading to more well-rested employees.

Being well-rested isn’t just good for the employees, either. It has been directly linked to few workplace accidents and increased productivity.

The concept of circadian lighting is not new. But until recently, commercial lighting systems were incapable of meeting the task.

How LED Bulbs Make Circadian Lighting Easier

One of the many problems with fluorescent lighting is that the bulbs come with a set color temperature. While it might be possible to change the brightness of the bulb with a dimmer or control system, the only way to change the actual color temperature would be to swap out the entire bulb, which means swapping out every bulb.

Commercial LED lighting systems are different. When equipped with smart lighting control, it’s possible to program your entire system to change color temperature over the course of the day. This allows bulbs to go from ‘warm’ to ‘cool’ over the course of the morning, then returning to ‘warm’ by the end of the day.

The best part is that the entire system is pre-programmed, making it a maintenance-free investment to any employee wellness program.

The Evolution of Commercial Circadian LED Lighting Systems

With every new hot-button item in the lighting industry, it may have been easy to assume that circadian lighting was just a passing fad. This does not seem to be the case, as is suggested by the tremendous amount of research still coming out on the important link between light temperature and human health.

In the last year alone, new studies from the Lighting Research Center have linked circadian lighting with big benefits for patients of Alzheimer’s and other related dementia. Another study found that individual color cycles of red, blue, and white light over the course of the day can help to maximize human alertness and improve the wake / sleep cycle.

Why [city] Businesses Should Consider Circadian LED Lighting

From office buildings to production warehouses, there is no commercial space that would not benefit from an efficient, fully-programmable lighting system. The problem becomes paying for the conversion or retrofit, a cost that can be hard for some small operators to bear.

While energy savings is the most effective way to justify the cost of a commercial LED conversion, facility managers should also consider the role that LED lighting can play in employee health. By cutting energy costs while simultaneously improving employee satisfaction and productivity, commercial LED systems are the type of diversified investment that businesses should be making in 2021.