Table of contents<\/h2>- The health benefits of sunlight<\/a><\/li>
- The use of daylighting<\/a><\/li>
- Color-tunable lighting defined<\/a><\/li>
- LED light vs. sunlight<\/a><\/li>
- Features and benefits of high CRI LED lighting<\/a><\/li>
- How to simulate sunlight in an office with LED lighting<\/a><\/li>
- Natural Light LED FAQ<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\")
<\/a>Skylights help maximize natural light in open office floor plans, which can then be supplemented with tunable-white LED lights, such as these linear pendant fixtures<\/a>. <\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe health benefits of sunlight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Absorbing natural sunlight for Vitamin D synthesis is important. Sunlight stimulates melatonin production and wake\/sleep cycles, which aids in better quality sleep, improving alertness during the daytime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exposure to sunlight offers an additional range of health advantages, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Providing essential Vitamin D to strengthen the immune system<\/a> against illnesses such as colds, influenza and allergies, as well as autoimmune diseases<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Maintaining the circadian rhythm<\/a>, which regulates the sleep\/wake cycle<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Fighting depression, particularly seasonal affective disorder<\/a> (SAD) <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Healing wounds (during World War I, Dr. Oskar Bernhard used sun therapy<\/a> to treat soldiers\u2019 wounds which prevented gangrene and tetanus)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Helping the body to create endorphins, which relieve stress and raise energy levels<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Research shows that employees who work in an office with more natural lighting sleep an average of 37 minutes longer per night than office workers who don\u2019t get any exposure to natural light. Also, the positive effects of sunlight accumulate throughout the week, as evidenced by workers’ cognitive tests in which they scored 42 percent<\/a> higher. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe conclusion? It\u2019s reasonable and logical to recognize that natural lighting in the workplace results in improved well-being and increased productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The use of daylighting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
According to the National Institute of Building Sciences, daylighting<\/a> is the \u201ccontrolled admission of natural light, direct sunlight and diffused-skylight into a building to reduce electric lighting and saving energy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\u201cBy providing a direct link to the dynamic and perpetually evolving patterns of outdoor illumination, daylighting helps create a visually stimulating and productive environment for building occupants, while reducing as much as one-third of total building energy costs.\u201d<\/p>\n\u2014Gregg Ander, Chief Architect of Southern California Edison<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Daylight sensors allow LED lights to adjust and reduce energy consumption on sunny days when natural light is streaming through the windows.<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nBefore the 1950s, the main source of light for most commercial buildings was natural light; they were actually built around this concept. But after the \u201850s, with the invention of fluorescent lighting, building design was altered. For example, buildings no longer used high ceilings to accommodate ceiling-to-floor windows for greater natural light exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Forty years later, in the 1990s, building designers and architects revisited this concept. For instance, when a new Walmart<\/a> was built in Oklahoma, half of it leveraged daylighting with skylights while the other half used artificial lighting. Sales tracking showed that the half of the store illuminated with natural light saw significantly higher sales. <\/p>\n\n\n\nA successful daylighting system<\/a> (or lighting control system) is not just about using skylights and windows; it\u2019s also about using a daylight-responsive lighting control system to take advantage of sunlight when it\u2019s available or electrical light when it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDaylighting systems are available for residential, commercial and industrial buildings and have a variety of lighting features, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- LED Color-Tunable Products<\/a>: <\/strong>adjusting color temperature to attune lighting with the natural progression of the sun<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Task Tuning:<\/strong> adjusting light intensity levels based on space requirements<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Daylight Harvesting:<\/strong> automatically adjusting electrical lights\u2019 brightness in response to degrees of available natural light <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Occupancy Sensing:<\/strong> automatically activating lights when people enter a space and deactivating (or dimming) them) after people depart <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Scheduling:<\/strong> automating lighting at pre-set times, such as turning lights off in a workplace on evenings and weekends<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Dimming Control:<\/strong> adjusting lights\u2019 brightness at the user\u2019s discretion <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Vacancy Sensing:<\/strong> occupants manually turning on lights with a sensor automatically turning lights off when motion is not detected<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Color-tunable lighting defined<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Another LED lighting technology that can provide some of the benefits of sunlight is color tuning. Color-tunable lighting<\/a> can adjust to suit individual preferences or specific application needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThere are three types of LED color-tunable lighting technologies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Dim-to-warm<\/strong> (color temperature range 1,800K \u2013 2,700K) mimics incandescent bulbs or candlelight<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tunable-white lighting<\/strong> (2,700K \u2013 5,000K) mimics sunlight<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- RGBW<\/strong> (Red, Green, Blue, White) provides a full range of color wheel and tunable-white lighting<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Tunable-white and RGBW lights can simulate the color temperature<\/a> of sunlight throughout the day, transitioning from neutral white (3500K) in the morning to daylight (5000K) midday and then warm white (2700K) as the day ends. This progression supports productivity and a healthy circadian rhythm. <\/p>\n\n\n\nLights at a certain Kelvin color temperature are suitable for specific settings and provide the right atmosphere<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nLED light vs. sunlight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s well known that LED light bulbs have long lifespans, consuming less power than incandescent light bulbs \u2014 sometimes as much as 90 percent<\/a> less. <\/p>\n\n\n\nYet it\u2019s less widely known that LED bulbs provide indoor lighting that can mimic sunlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Natural light LEDs evoke the hue and intensity of natural sunlight and help to maintain the human body’s natural circadian rhythm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
LED lights come in a variety of brightness levels, including a daylight variation, and can mimic natural light in both color and intensity. High CRI (90+) LED lights have a higher index of color accuracy compared to conventional lighting systems. This means that their light output more closely matches actual object colors as they appear in natural daylight. <\/p>\n\n\n\nLights with poor color rendering can make colors appear dull or muddy<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nHigh CRI LED lighting with color temperatures ranging from about 5200K-6400K is the closest that artificial lighting can come to natural sunlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.alconlighting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Beam4X4Hh.jpg\")
<\/a>The health benefits of sunlight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Absorbing natural sunlight for Vitamin D synthesis is important. Sunlight stimulates melatonin production and wake\/sleep cycles, which aids in better quality sleep, improving alertness during the daytime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exposure to sunlight offers an additional range of health advantages, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Providing essential Vitamin D to strengthen the immune system<\/a> against illnesses such as colds, influenza and allergies, as well as autoimmune diseases<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Maintaining the circadian rhythm<\/a>, which regulates the sleep\/wake cycle<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Fighting depression, particularly seasonal affective disorder<\/a> (SAD) <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Healing wounds (during World War I, Dr. Oskar Bernhard used sun therapy<\/a> to treat soldiers\u2019 wounds which prevented gangrene and tetanus)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Helping the body to create endorphins, which relieve stress and raise energy levels<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Research shows that employees who work in an office with more natural lighting sleep an average of 37 minutes longer per night than office workers who don\u2019t get any exposure to natural light. Also, the positive effects of sunlight accumulate throughout the week, as evidenced by workers’ cognitive tests in which they scored 42 percent<\/a> higher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The conclusion? It\u2019s reasonable and logical to recognize that natural lighting in the workplace results in improved well-being and increased productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The use of daylighting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
According to the National Institute of Building Sciences, daylighting<\/a> is the \u201ccontrolled admission of natural light, direct sunlight and diffused-skylight into a building to reduce electric lighting and saving energy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\u201cBy providing a direct link to the dynamic and perpetually evolving patterns of outdoor illumination, daylighting helps create a visually stimulating and productive environment for building occupants, while reducing as much as one-third of total building energy costs.\u201d<\/p>\n\u2014Gregg Ander, Chief Architect of Southern California Edison<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n
\n<\/a>Daylight sensors allow LED lights to adjust and reduce energy consumption on sunny days when natural light is streaming through the windows.<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\nBefore the 1950s, the main source of light for most commercial buildings was natural light; they were actually built around this concept. But after the \u201850s, with the invention of fluorescent lighting, building design was altered. For example, buildings no longer used high ceilings to accommodate ceiling-to-floor windows for greater natural light exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Forty years later, in the 1990s, building designers and architects revisited this concept. For instance, when a new Walmart<\/a> was built in Oklahoma, half of it leveraged daylighting with skylights while the other half used artificial lighting. Sales tracking showed that the half of the store illuminated with natural light saw significantly higher sales. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A successful daylighting system<\/a> (or lighting control system) is not just about using skylights and windows; it\u2019s also about using a daylight-responsive lighting control system to take advantage of sunlight when it\u2019s available or electrical light when it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daylighting systems are available for residential, commercial and industrial buildings and have a variety of lighting features, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- LED Color-Tunable Products<\/a>: <\/strong>adjusting color temperature to attune lighting with the natural progression of the sun<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Task Tuning:<\/strong> adjusting light intensity levels based on space requirements<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Daylight Harvesting:<\/strong> automatically adjusting electrical lights\u2019 brightness in response to degrees of available natural light <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Occupancy Sensing:<\/strong> automatically activating lights when people enter a space and deactivating (or dimming) them) after people depart <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Scheduling:<\/strong> automating lighting at pre-set times, such as turning lights off in a workplace on evenings and weekends<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Dimming Control:<\/strong> adjusting lights\u2019 brightness at the user\u2019s discretion <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Vacancy Sensing:<\/strong> occupants manually turning on lights with a sensor automatically turning lights off when motion is not detected<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Color-tunable lighting defined<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Another LED lighting technology that can provide some of the benefits of sunlight is color tuning. Color-tunable lighting<\/a> can adjust to suit individual preferences or specific application needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are three types of LED color-tunable lighting technologies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Dim-to-warm<\/strong> (color temperature range 1,800K \u2013 2,700K) mimics incandescent bulbs or candlelight<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tunable-white lighting<\/strong> (2,700K \u2013 5,000K) mimics sunlight<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- RGBW<\/strong> (Red, Green, Blue, White) provides a full range of color wheel and tunable-white lighting<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Tunable-white and RGBW lights can simulate the color temperature<\/a> of sunlight throughout the day, transitioning from neutral white (3500K) in the morning to daylight (5000K) midday and then warm white (2700K) as the day ends. This progression supports productivity and a healthy circadian rhythm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lights at a certain Kelvin color temperature are suitable for specific settings and provide the right atmosphere<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\nLED light vs. sunlight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s well known that LED light bulbs have long lifespans, consuming less power than incandescent light bulbs \u2014 sometimes as much as 90 percent<\/a> less. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet it\u2019s less widely known that LED bulbs provide indoor lighting that can mimic sunlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Natural light LEDs evoke the hue and intensity of natural sunlight and help to maintain the human body’s natural circadian rhythm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
LED lights come in a variety of brightness levels, including a daylight variation, and can mimic natural light in both color and intensity. High CRI (90+) LED lights have a higher index of color accuracy compared to conventional lighting systems. This means that their light output more closely matches actual object colors as they appear in natural daylight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lights with poor color rendering can make colors appear dull or muddy<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\nHigh CRI LED lighting with color temperatures ranging from about 5200K-6400K is the closest that artificial lighting can come to natural sunlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Tunable-white lighting<\/strong> (2,700K \u2013 5,000K) mimics sunlight<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Task Tuning:<\/strong> adjusting light intensity levels based on space requirements<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Maintaining the circadian rhythm<\/a>, which regulates the sleep\/wake cycle<\/li>\n\n\n\n
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