Let there always be light - it is good for you Be part of the healthy lighting revolution
Did you know that there is a light bulb in California that has been burning continuously since 1901 - imagine that! Known as the Centennial Light, the enduring bulb is so famous it even has its own web bulbcam. Take a moment to consider just how much the world has changed around this singular item. Lighting is now so much more than a lightbulb, it has evolved into
something that can be designed, controlled and owned, particularly with the development of new light sources and advanced control systems. And with the introduction of LED technology, the lighting revolution is well and truly underway. LED lighting offers huge benefits compared to traditional lighting solutions many of which are well publicised: superior efficiency, longer life span (okay, so the centennial bulb is a special one-off) and LED lighting offers a substantial return on investment. But there are also quantifiable benefits that are not easily measured but can be seen, such as the benefit to health and wellbeing for example.
LightingEurope are promoting a movement called human centric lighting which centres on the relationship between light and levels of wellbeing where the effects on circadian rhythms can be associated to specific light conditions. A circadian rhythm is approximately a 24-hour cycle in the biological process of living beings.
Light sets our
body clock, which regulates our sleep-wake cycle, immune responses, appetite and many more of our functions and behaviours
If our exposure to natural daylight is disrupted during waking hours, then our circadian rhythm is also disrupted. The research on circadian rhythms and human centric lighting is extensive, there are many published white papers explaining the use of illuminance levels, colour temperatures and light direction to meet people’s emotional needs. There are also extensive scientific explanations on the
effects of light on hormone levels and the body clock. But what does it mean in simple layman’s terms?
Fundamentally, light is as important as eating and breathing; it is an essential part of life. The human body has natural rhythms that are directly positively influenced by natural daylight, and light therefore has a major impact on our health and wellbeing, we quite simply need it to function correctly. And with the evolution of LED, the artificial
light being produced is ebbing closer and closer to natural daylight. We can now change the intensity and colour temperature of these LEDs to have a significant impact on feelings of happiness and health. So, if we can’t reproduce natural daylight, we can use lighting control systems, like the VIVID System for example, to create magnificent lighting which changes light colour and intensity with the flick of a switch, or the turn of a rotary dial. Controlling the type of lighting we employ and understanding the impact this control has on our overall
health and happiness is crucial. Lighting designers understand this more than anyone and will specify a good guest room management system to deliver the appropriate result. It also goes without saying that the proper use of dimming and light tuning can not only improve mood and wellbeing but can also provide substantial energy savings and sustainability. Sounds simple! Gone are the days of the simple Centennial Light. Mankind has evolved under the ebb and flow of day and night from a time where luminaires, such as the Centennial Light, were used only to see and perform activities, to the present healthy lighting revolution where we can tune and rein light for our own physiological and psychological benefit. Who knows, improving our health and wellbeing by harnessing light in this way may contribute to us living just as long as the Centennial Light. Welcome to the healthy lighting revolution