Analyzing a business, what is the one item that simply “needs to work”? Sure, in the summer, the response is likely A/C, and it definitely could be a serious detriment to productivity, but there’s an even more base requirement. No, it’s not that Blackberry or iPhone, rather, it is lighting. A dark environment makes doing business nearly impossible. Yet, it is the very equipment which allows a company to continue operating effectively that is seen as simply another consumable. In recent years, more attention has been brought to illumination as a means of “going green” through the use of CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lights) and, on a smaller scale, LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). The efforts are laudable, and much improvement has been made, however, lights are still seen as an end in and of themselves, not as a means to improving the business’s bottom line.
What could this possibly mean? Surely lights have two levels of benefits: longer life and lower energy consumption, but is it surprising to hear that they actually have many more effects? Take an office environment, for example. A comprehensive lighting audit should result in lower operating costs and reduced maintenance, but, if done properly, should also improve the quality of light, reducing eye strain (a cause of headaches), increasing productivity, and, reducing absenteeism!
Right, and the company is on the Fortune 500 in 3-month’s time. Sarcasm aside, these are all true (well, maybe not the Fortune 500, yet). Think about the last visit to a jewelry store. Were their lights a dull yellow, with areas of bluish hue, and the corners tending to hold a strong glare? No! Everything was presented in crisp, clean light approaching the tones of daylight, and why might that be? A jewelry store’s interest is in making their product look stunning, and they embrace proper lighting to emphasize that goal. The same, in effect, is true in any other business. When the lighting is at its best, employees, customers, and the actions each take are as well. This translates into a variety of benefits for the company. In healthcare, a clean light allows medical practitioners to diagnose and treat patients most effectively. On the manufacturing floor, proper lighting improves safety through a reduction in accidents and can provide a boost to quality control standards. Even in the classroom, a well-illuminated environment has been linked to an improvement in test scores and student behavior.
So, for those who passed on perusing The Article No One Will Read, here is the necessary summary:
Proper lighting is less common than it should be, but not troublesome to resolve
Well-lit environments allow everyone and everything to operate at their best
Beneficial light and cost savings can go hand-in-hand
Including a lighting audit within a company’s sustainability initiative can pay large dividends
- Going Green,
- Brightening the office,
- Reducing the energy bill,
- and replacing fewer lights