Smart lighting system makes for healthier people

 Lighting plays a crucial role in ensuring that our homes, offices, and factories keep us healthy, comfortable, and productive. However, when it comes to lighting, we often treat all indoor spaces as if they are the same. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized the importance of light in our lives by designating May 16 as the annual International Day of Light.


The Good Light Group, a non-profit alliance, argues that humans need plenty of daylight to synchronize their body clocks. If people are spending almost all their time indoors, indoor lighting should mimic the positive effects of natural daylight. The group defines good light as lighting that is attractive, of high quality, comfortable for the eyes, and dynamic. It also states that good light has spectral characteristics that vary according to the time of day or specific tasks and adapts to users’ needs.


One way to achieve this is by implementing a smart lighting strategy, which makes lighting a dynamic part of a building’s operation rather than just a static feature. Smart lighting can increase lighting efficiency by ensuring that the right lighting goes to the right places at the right time and only to those places. It can also make a positive contribution to user well-being by providing the right amount of light, at the right wavelength, to ensure that people can work without eye strain, can be alert when they need to be, and can relax when appropriate. Additionally, it can help increase the utilization of a building by providing flexible ways to style its spaces and quickly reconfigure those spaces to suit changing usage patterns, the time of day, or the desired mood.


The Light and Health Research Center (LHRC) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York is advancing research on the role of light in human health. The center has released a free, open-access software called the circadian stimulus calculator, which lets lighting professionals compare how well different light sources, exposure times, and lighting levels stimulate the circadian system. This software uses recent biophysical research and retinal neurophysiology.


In conclusion, lighting plays a crucial role in our physical and mental well-being. Smart lighting strategies can help mimic the positive effects of natural daylight, increase lighting efficiency, and provide a better environment for work and relaxation. As we spend more time indoors, it is essential that we pay attention to the lighting in our indoor spaces and work towards creating a healthier environment for all.

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