OFFICE LIGHTING STRATEGIES FOR MIDWINTER

“The Winter Solstice, also known as Midwinter, occurs when one of the Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt away from the Sun. For that hemisphere, the winter solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight and longest night of the year.” Even without knowing the scientific definition, we are all keenly aware of just how dark our days are during the winter. To keep our workdays ideally illuminated we should consider office lighting strategies for Midwinter season.

FACTORS IN LIGHTING

“Office lighting is one of the many determinants to an employee’s perception about the workplace and can enhance employee performance as well as increase the aesthetic appeal of the office. It is important for the health and well-being, as well as performance productivity of the employees. It has been scientifically proven that the kind of lighting used in workplaces does indeed influence employees’ work, mood and overall health over time.” Complete Guide to Office Lighting Best Practices. This very comprehensive article on lighting offers some great information and perspective and among the 35 best practices referenced in the article, these are the standouts on the topic:

• Natural daylight is the best kind of lighting one can use for the most productive work environment. However, these days it is increasingly difficult for companies to find office spaces that are exposed to considerable daylight, so it follows that daylight-like lighting must be mimicked by closest available artificial lighting. 
• On darker days, such as during winter or the rainy season, when sunlight is low outside, the indoor lighting needs to be a little brighter and warmer than usual to make up for the missing light outside. This will be beneficial for employees, as the presence of substitute light will help keep energy levels high. Maintaining bright lighting will also sustain the circadian rhythm of the body and will hence avert the disruption of sleep pattern in the longer run.
• Consider choosing lighting that can be lowered or increased in intensity as the need arises. As evening sets in and the employees prepare to wind up their day, the lights can be lowered in intensity and set to a warmer tone to calm and relax the mind. For employees working at night, ensure that the lighting remains warm, since the computer screen already has a lot of blue light, which can disrupt the employees’ sleep schedule.
• Consider having a lighting control system installed for your office. This will help in utilizing lighting sources more optimally, saving power and thus saving money. Further, with a lighting control system in place, all the lights fixed in your office will be included in that one system and will make the entire process of monitoring and using the lighting, much simpler.
• One final thing to remember is that your office lighting, its forms and colours and the way it is all placed, should, like all other décor and components of your office space, represent the company’s brand and image as far as possible. Every company has a theme and based on that, it can have furniture, décor and lighting as well. Lighting is not just about requirement; it is also about aesthetics and pleasing visuals.