An office can be an exciting new workplace environment, but there are many things to consider when choosing one. Important considerations include the amount of available light, both natural and artificial; how warm or cool you prefer your office to be; the amount of background noise you need to block out; whether you need desks and chairs or would rather work on your own; and more. The lighting in your office should be important to you, not only because it's functional but also because it can affect the mood of you and your employees while working there. Here are some of the most important considerations you should keep in mind when choosing office lights that will help create a better working environment and encourage productivity.
Office Lighting Standards
Office lights come in all shapes and sizes, but their lumen rating measures them. A typical desk lamp, for example, is around 800 lumens; a fluorescent ceiling light is closer to 100 lumens, and an average task light ranges between 1,200 and 1,600 lumens. These different lumen ratings are important to consider when looking at office lighting fixtures because you should make sure there's enough light coming from above to comfortably read charts or reports—but not so much that you need sunglasses indoors. It may seem strange, but it's an essential consideration if you want your employees to be productive. The last thing anyone wants is for staff members to squint while reading company stats.
Worker Health and Productivity
You may not realize it, but much of your work productivity depends on things like lighting. If you're in a poorly lit room, chances are you aren't getting much done; in fact, productivity will probably plummet! Exposure to too little or too much light can seriously affect your ability to concentrate and make good decisions. This doesn't mean that an office should be brightly lit all day long; instead, choose lightings that don't produce glare. In addition, any fluorescent lights used should be changed out for LED bulbs since LEDs provide a better quality of light while using less electricity.
Energy Efficiency
Incandescent bulbs are very inefficient compared to LEDs, which means they create a lot of heat. When choosing an LED light fixture for your office, make sure it is rated for commercial use instead of residential; residential bulbs burn out much faster than their commercial counterparts, which can become an issue if you're running these lights for 8+ hours per day. Because there are so many options when it comes to choosing office lighting fixtures, consider working with a lighting consultant who knows what they're doing and can help you pick something that will last.
Lighting and Computers
When you're choosing lights for your office or home office, don't forget about desk lamps and overhead fixtures in other rooms. A desk lamp might not need to produce as much light as an overhead fixture above a conference table—but it will usually have a dimmer switch so you can easily control how much light it emits.
With high-quality LED lighting, it's possible to create an office environment that's bright enough for productivity while still reducing electricity costs. LEDs are also far more durable than incandescent bulbs, meaning they don't need to be replaced nearly as often, which can help keep your overhead costs down.
