When you designed your office, you probably considered furniture and paint, computers and copiers. But did you think about lights and lighting? You should have, because office lighting is a smart yet subtle way to optimize your workplace. Commercial lighting, when carefully planned and purchased, can enhance your environment as well as your efficiency.
Indeed, good commercial lighting fixtures can provide your business with more than light; the best can also provide it with higher profits. Here's how:
1. Office lighting can help you create a more attractive, more appealing work environment.
2. Commercial lighting can improve and enhance employees' and customers' moods.
3. Office lighting can increase productivity and decrease physical strain.
4. Industrial lighting can reduce your energy costs.
5. Commercial lighting, in retail stores, can attract customers and highlight products.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Outfit ceilings with commercial lighting that's optimized for your business
Your ceilings are home to core commercial lighting fixtures. The best lights and lighting for your ceilings depends on your industry, office space and environment.
I recommend: VGK Lighting offers a variety of options for
ceiling lighting,
recessed lighting and
track lighting. See more products for
track lighting,
recessed lighting and
ceiling lighting at CSN Lighting.
Turn to task lighting for office lighting that can help productivity
Employees' desktops should be the brightest surface in your office. Begin commercial lighting improvements, therefore, with upgraded task lighting.
I recommend: LightingDirect,
Lights-Hardware and
Lamps Plus have dozens of desk lamps and are a good source of task lighting for office lighting applications.
Use accent lights and lighting to spotlight important objects
Accent lighting is an ideal way to highlight important elements within your space. Use it within your industrial lighting layout to illuminate important awards or art in your office, or important merchandise within your store.
I recommend: Specialty lighting manufacturers such as
Lighting Services,
Nora Lighting and
Translite Sonoma are ideal suppliers of stylish office lighting, including accent lighting.
Open up small spaces with wall-mounted office lighting
Lighting both walls and ceilings reduces contrast, shadows and glare, which can directly and negatively impact workers' performance.
I recommend: Companies like
The Basic Source,
Ledalite and
SPI Lighting specialize in office lighting and offer dozens of wall- and ceiling-mounted commercial lighting fixtures. For more extreme work environments, look to companies like
Hubbell Lighting, which specializes in industrial lighting.
Keep your eye on industrial lighting that can save energy and money
For maximum efficiency, go with fluorescent office lighting over incandescent lights and lighting, which are energy-inefficient.
I recommend: Pay attention not only to the commercial lighting fixtures you buy, but also to the bulbs you buy to go in them. Look for long-lasting, energy-efficient
fluorescent light bulbs using the Business.com directory, where you’ll find vendors like
Bulbs.com. Use GE’s
online calculator to see how much you can save by using GE Energy Smart compact fluorescent lights. They can also save you taxes; consult the National Electrical Manufacturers Association's
Commercial Lighting Tax Deduction website to learn how.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Balance bright industrial lighting with light-colored walls and partitions; dark colors make optimal lighting impossible.
- Office walls should be matte; shiny finishes are reflective and therefore interfere with commercial lighting arrangements.
- Commercial lighting is especially important to retailers, who should install lighting fixtures that give good color and perfect contrast.
- Industrial lighting isn't just a matter of aesthetics; if you work in manufacturing, it can be a matter of safety, too.
- A mere 4 percent improvement in productivity justifies doubling spending on commercial lighting improvements, research suggests.
- To improve natural lighting, consider installing skylights; a well-designed commercial lighting system can save half of the energy used in a typical building, which offsets any additional heat loss or gains due to the skylights.
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