Light-emitting diode (LED) is becoming a much more popular lighting option around the world. The U.S. Department of Energy has stated that LED lighting has the potential to reduce U.S. energy usage by nearly 50%. Not only does this kind of lighting provide energy benefits, it works great for residential use, can be applied to some innovative new technological devices, and can even boost individual productivity.
According to Dezeen, fluctuating LED office lighting can actually provide business workers with a caffeine-like energy boost.
In an office in Prague, Philips Lighting installed an innovate system of LED lights that are specially designed to improve employee’s circadian rhythms throughout the workday.
“We’ve taken our knowledge of how light physiologically benefits people from successful projects in hospitals and schools and applied it to the offices space,” said Jiri Tourek, county manager at Philips. “We know that exposure to a certain comfortable bright light setting for one hour can provide a mild energy stimulus similar to a cup of coffee and supports wakefulness.”
These LED lights were designed and manufactured in Innogy’s Czech Republic headquarters.
In addition to the energy and productivity increases that LED lighting provides, when mixed with bright colors, a boost in alertness is present as well.
“At the beginning of the day, the office lights mimic natural daylight, providing a useful energy boost,” added Tomas Michna, senior manager for facilities and services at Innogy. “The light levels decrease until after lunch when we give another boost to help staff over the post-energy dip.”
Throughout the three buildings, there are now 2,000 LED lights that provide necessary energy boosts to all 550 employees. Also, there are 150 sensors that were installed in order to detect human presence and automatically turn the lights off when no one is around, saving energy in the process.
As far as personal use, there are affordable LED lighting options that are even smartphone compatible. According to BGR, the Sengled Element Classic A19 Smart LED Light Bulb is less than $10 and can provide the same energy benefits to individuals working from home and those who just want better area lighting.
This smart LED light can be integrated into a smart home, controlled and monitored via voice or app, and uses much less (80%) energy than incandescent lighting.
