Next generation lighting technology

September 7, 2011

Philips boosting productivity with next generation lighting technology

Sensors that follow workers' movements, lights that monitor and adjust
to natural sunlight levels, and dynamic walls of colour are just some of
the new technologies that are now available to New Zealand workplaces.

These new technologies bring threefold benefits: significant energy and
cost savings, new tools for design professionals to create innovative
and creative spaces, and improvements in the health and wellbeing of
workers, which in turn improves productivity and morale.[i]

Lighting makes up 40% of the energy used in offices and new lighting
technology can bring significant energy savings. Philips has found on
projects in Germany and the United Kingdom that lighting energy savings
of up to 70% can be made when energy efficient lighting is combined with
systems that recognise light levels outside and identify when
individuals are working in a space and adjust the interior lighting
accordingly.

Philips recently partnered with ceiling tile manufacturer Armstrong to
develop ceiling panels with built-in energy efficient lighting. These
panels are significantly thinner than regular lighting installed in
ceiling panels, enabling greater ceiling heights - particularly useful
when older buildings are being retrofitted to achieve Green Star
ratings.

An international partnership with Kvadrat Soft Cells has developed
innovative luminous textiles by integrating Philips LEDs into Kvadrat's
acoustic panels, giving architects, interior designers and lighting
specialists new freedom to enhance workplaces with texture and light
(video showing technology available here
).

"With these new developments and tools we have begun to see companies
embracing quality lighting in workplaces, acknowledging the significant
effect it has not just financially and environmentally but also on staff
wellbeing," says David Procter, Marketing Manager, Philips Lighting.

"Our research[ii] has shown that investing in workplace lighting can
contribute to greater employee well-being and performance, as well as
reducing employee stress, absenteeism and industrial accidents," he
said.

A study commissioned by Philips and undertaken by City University
London's Center for Performance for Work emphasised the importance of
lighting to worker productivity, something also illustrated in the 2006
paper by the New Zealand Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment,
which found that improved lighting design increased worker productivity
by up to 23%.[iii]

Lighting technology can also bring light in tune with people's daily
routines. Rather than a constant harsh cold light, new lighting
technology can vary colour and intensity to suit mood and activity. In
Audi's office in Germany, Philips has installed a lighting control
system that turns lights on and off according to the time of day and
amount of natural light.

"Lighting can help to define a company's image and identity, and new
technology is making this easier than ever before. The role of quality
lighting is incredibly compelling as a way to increase employee
productivity and retention, and is something within the reach of all
businesses." says Mr Procter.

ends

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