Switching to LEDs doesn’t just make your building more energy-efficient. It makes it brighter. It gives you more lighting options. It even gives you remote access to your lighting settings. But it’s not just enough to rewire the sockets and improve your network. Your lighting needs to be redesigned to tap into the benefits of LEDs fully. Here’s why:
1. You get more brightness per unit.
Regardless of the building you have or the industry you’re working in, the lighting likely meets a bare minimum of ‘sufficient.’ Either through general design or OSHA requirements, your incandescent or fluorescent lights do the job. However, when you switch to LEDs, each bulb is capable of producing significantly more light. LEDs can reach approximately 3% of the sun’s brightness each, and that means your workspace will become very bright, possibly too bright.
Redistribute the lighting so that your employees don’t have to worry about excessive glare or light pollution as they work.
2. Directionality gives you more control over lighting the space.
Traditional bulbs emit light in every direction, and their covers could block off the lighting in a pseudo-attempt at directionality. However, LEDs have a directional beam. With smart LEDs, you can even program that direction to change over time, along with brightness and color.
Your current lighting setup was designed based on the limitations of the time period. Therefore, update the configuration to match the new opportunities, especially in retail or public spaces.
3. Ensure compliance with new regulations.
Just like lighting technology updates, so do safety regulations. If you have freezers, regulations are tightening on how much heat runoff can influence the temperature. Employee safety advocates also concern themselves with glare, lighting for overnight employees, and other related issues. While retrofitting your system for the new technology, also redesign for compliance changes.
