Lighting Fixtures for Your Office Environment
From effective illumination for work tasks to energy efficiency to lower utility costs, there are many factors to consider for office lighting.
While some offices have large open spaces that use skylights and large windows to take advantage of natural light, offices typically require artificial lighting solutions to illuminate their workspace.
The main types of indoor lighting used in offices tend to come from the big three: incandescent, fluorescent/compact fluorescent (CFL), and LED.
- Incandescent Office Lighting: Incandescent bulbs are the least desirable lighting option in terms of office lights. They are found in older office fixtures. The least energy-efficient of the three, incandescent bulbs burn at a hotter temperature, consume more energy, and have a shorter average life rating. The only big benefit of this type of lighting is that it comes to full lumen output faster than fluorescent lights. It is also seen as environmentally friendly despite the higher energy consumption because the filament is made from tungsten, a non-hazardous metal.
- Fluorescent Office Lights: They are may be considered a better solution. It lasts almost 20 times longer than incandescent in most cases. It also burns at a cooler temperature while offering a higher lumen output. Fluorescent/CFL bulbs often use mercury which can be tricky to dispose of safely and they are more prone to flickering than other options.
- LED Office Lighting: It is seen as the best solution for many reasons:
- a- Longest-Lasting: LED office lights have an impressive lifespan – anywhere from 25,000 to 100,000 hours. Unlike fluorescent lamps, LED lights retain their excellent output quality throughout their life. Part of the reason for their longer life is they run at cooler temps, so they’re less likely to shatter from getting overheated.
- b- Low Wattage: LED bulbs have the lowest wattages with exceptionally high lumen outputs.
- c- Cost-Effective: While the initial cost may be higher than the other two options, LEDs last longer and use much less energy, so you get a good return on your investment.
- d- Versatile: LEDs come in various lighting models perfect for office lighting such as tubes, bulbs, rope lighting, and more.
