Proper lighting is one of the most important elements in creating a productive and comfortable office environment. It has an important impact on employee well-being, task performance, and the general ambiance of an organization at work. LED surface fixtures have been a growing trend in recent years for office lighting solutions due to the many benefits of the lighting option.
Improved lighting quality, improved energy efficiency, and improved productivity—in office spaces—can be achieved by using LED surface fixtures. Modern lighting solutions provide superior color rendering, reduced glare, and more consistent illumination, making a great-looking and functional workspace. Moreover, LED office lighting uses less energy than conventional lighting systems, thereby resulting in considerable cost savings and reduced environmental footprint.
Selecting the right LED surface fixture for your office means ensuring the best possible office lighting and lighting environment to maximize employee comfort and productivity and contribute to a more sustainable business. In the sections that follow, we will discuss several factors to consider in your selection of the best office lighting for your space.
LED Surface Fixtures
Modern office ceiling lights are also mounted lighting applications that are mounted on ceilings or walls without recessing the fixture behind the surface of material. Unlike other traditional lighting options, such as fluorescent tubes or incandescent lights, LED surface fixtures produce light with Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology. All of these fixtures are slim profile, versatile designs, and provide uniform illumination throughout an office space.
However, their installation method is one key difference between LED surface fixtures and other office lighting types. Pendant lights hang from the ceiling, recessed lights require ceiling cavities, and surface lights are simply mounted flush against the surface. These are excellent for offices that don't have much ceiling space or require limited changes in structure.
Explains our expert Sergio Andriichenko, LED Lighting Specialist at LED Lights Direct.
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Office light fixture LEDs offer numerous benefits for office environments:
Awareness of the features and benefits of specific products, like LED surface fixtures, allows office managers and facility planners to make the best lighting choices to serve their distinctive requirements.
Choosing LED surface fixtures
Here are a few aspects to consider if you are selecting LED surface fixtures for your office to maximize the lighting conditions in which your employees will be working. Here are the main considerations:
Brightness and Lumen Output
There is no question that your office should be well-lit, but so should the office's occupants. The required lumen output depends on the actual area and the function of the area inside the office space. Here are some general guidelines:
- Open offices: For general task illumination, target 30 to 40 lumens per square foot (300 to 400 lux).
- Conference rooms: To help you focus better during meetings, we recommend a slightly higher brightness, between 40 and 50 lumens per square foot (400-500 lux).
- Individual workspaces: For task lighting, between 50 to 75 lumens per square foot (500 to 750 lux) provides enough light to do detailed work while minimizing eye strain.
In order to find how many total lumens you need, you need to multiply the square feet in the room by the number of recommended lumens per square foot. That will help you select fixtures having the adequate lumen output for each place.
Color Temperature
Office environments are influenced by mood, focus, and productivity, as well as by color temperature. It is measured in Kelvin (K) and ranges from warm to cool tones:
- Warm white (2700K-3000K): This creates a cozy and relaxed environment and is suited for use in break rooms or in casual meeting areas.
- Neutral white (3500K-4000K): Gives a balanced and natural light that is acceptable for most office space, and keeps you alert without being harsh.
- Cool white (5000K-6500K): Imitates daylight and can help improve focus and productivity, a great feature for task oriented areas or areas that are not naturally lit.
Although a color temperature of 3500K to 4000K is usually recommended for general office lighting, it's comfortable yet still makes you alert.
Energy efficiency and Cost Savings.
To maximize energy efficiency and cost savings, consider the following when choosing LED surface fixtures:
- Higher-rated lumens per watt (lm/W) fixtures correspond to higher energy efficiency.
- Choosing fixtures with an ENERGY STAR certified home can save up to 30 percent on utility bills compared to a home built to code, so you can save over $200 per year, depending on where you live (www.energystar.gov/). These homes must follow strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. Finally, think about fixtures that incorporate their own sensors or work with smart lighting systems to also cut energy use by automatically dimming or turning off when a space is left unattended.
You can decrease your office's environmental footprint and long term operating costs by giving preference to energy efficient fixtures.
Glare and Eye Comfort
To ensure employee comfort and reduce eye strain, especially for those working with screens, consider these factors when selecting LED surface fixtures for offices:
- Select diffusers or lenses on fixtures that spread light evenly and reduce direct glare. The lit fixtures are required to have a low Unified Glare Rating (UGR) value, ideally UGR below 19 in office environments.
- If you want, think about indirect lighting or fixtures that can be pointed so that they will reduce the reflection on computer screens. Implement ambient and task lighting in your room using a layered lighting approach to avoid a big difference in contrast and eye fatigue.
Design and Aesthetics
When selecting LED surface fixtures, it's important to balance functionality with aesthetics to create a visually appealing office environment:
Select LED surface fixtures that coordinate with your office's architectural style and decor. In modern office spaces, sleek, minimalist designs can work well.
- Look at the fixture's profile and how it will complement your ceiling height and other design elements.
- Try to find fixtures with customizable features such as flexible color temperature or dimmability. Take the fixture's off appearance into consideration, that is, it must look good in daylight hours or when not in use.
However, you can rely on these key factors when choosing LED surface fixtures for your office to not just give you the best lighting but also to create a comfortable, productive, and great looking office.
Flexibility and Installation
Choosing LED surface fixtures for your office is an easy and flexible one to consider when it comes to both the implementation at the moment and the adaptability in the future. Each of the factors has a significant influence on the total cost, efficiency, and functionality of your lighting system.
Ease of Installation
Choosing LED surface fixtures that are easy to install offers several advantages:
- Reduced labor costs: Simple to-mount and connect fixtures can greatly reduce installation time and associated labor expenses.
- Minimal disruption: These easy-to-install fixtures allow quicker setup so office operations are minimally disrupted as the installation is completed.
- Versatility: Many options include fixtures intended to be easy to install, and they allow greater options regarding placement to be in optimal position for the specific lighting requirements.
- Future modifications: Choosing fixtures that are quick to install also means they will be quick to replace or replace in the future, guaranteeing that your lighting arrangement will keep pace with your office's needs.
Furthermore, choosing fixtures requiring minimum upkeep can save long term costs and reduce downtime for repair or replacement.
Flexible Lighting Controls
Integrating flexible lighting controls into your LED surface fixtures can greatly enhance the functionality and efficiency of your office lighting system:
- Dimmable fixtures: Dimmable LED fixtures allow you to easily adjust the amount of light to match different tasks, a different day, or your preferences.
- Smart controls: Smart lighting systems allow enhanced features like scheduling, remotes, and integration with other office systems.
- Occupancy sensors: Building energy savings—Fixtures with built-in or compatible occupancy sensors can automatically adjust lighting in response to room usage, reducing energy use in unused areas.
- Daylight harvesting: Some advanced systems can adapt artificial lighting levels based on the amount of natural light available for energy use and maintain good lighting level consistency.
Flexible lighting controls, however, might be one of the ways you can have a more dynamic and responsive office environment that adjusts to different needs and is still energy-efficient and comfortable for users.
