The amount of light provided by the sun meets the minimum requirements for illuminance, as set by the IES. Besides, it renders daylight harvesting uneconomical, at least quantitatively. This means that measures need to be put in to improve visual comfort.
Most people use daylight to illuminate spaces. However, they still install diffusers, louvers, and prismatic lenses to reduce the glare produced by the sun’s rays. If you have ever driven at night, you probably know that the glare from an oncoming car’s headlights can be blinding. Surprisingly, this doesn’t occur during daytime when your eyes are light-adapted.
However, in closed spaces, such as offices, you can feel the glare even during the day. This is why modern workplaces have unshielded tubular LED lighting on their ceilings. Studies show that adjusting the spectral distribution of LEDs connects with the internal body clock while color tuning enhances visual comfort and productivity.
Personalization Increases Comfort and Productivity
Dealing with workplace issues like temperature, acoustics, temperature, and furniture can be challenging. For instance, you might shift to an open-plan office to save on space and rent, and encourage interaction among workmates, only to discover that it can’t work. Some employees get distracted when working close to others. Also, the configuration of the office might not appeal to all workers.
The best approach to increase productivity is by personalizing the office as much as possible and allow workers to exercise their preferences. This is because everyone gets satisfied and is more likely to work smarter as a result.
In Europe, designers are no longer installing most of the light fixtures on office ceilings. Instead, they are providing individualized equipment such as desktop lamps and floor standing lamps. This enables office workers to adjust the amount of light to their desired level, making them feel like they are in a private space. In turn, they become more productive.
It is worth noting that investing in LED lighting without a high level of personalization can’t generate the desired results at the workplace. You might spend colossal amounts on a new lighting system, only to notice later that there are no improvements in productivity. Besides, you must also personalize other aspects such as acoustics, temperature, furniture arrangement, and more importantly, the office plan.
Remember, when people are not satisfied with the quality of the working environment, don’t expect them to perform to the required standard.
