Tunable white lighting in the classroom: The new ROI is ROO
Throughout the past few years, we at LEDs Magazine have seen more solid-state lighting (SSL) product development targeted at educational environments. School officials, especially in the public-school arena, must manage strict budgets and plan strategically to obtain the best return on investment (ROI) possible, so the potential financial implications are important factors — first, the cost of premium equipment and installation, but then balanced against the possible payback due to energy efficiency initiatives and less maintenance. One consideration beyond the established cost reductions of SSL in institutional buildings such as schools is the possible impact of tunable white lighting in the classroom. Naturally, dimmability and other controls features such as granularity of color temperature can be customized to various classroom tasks and increase visual acuity. But what’s becoming even more appealing to educational administrators is the ability to influence less “visible” factors in the classroom, such as mood, behavior, and concentration. Strategies in Light, co-located with The LED Show and Lightspace California, will draw more attention to so-called human-centric lighting applications as this, also known as lighting for health and wellbeing. One such presentation, “Lighting for pupils…Tunable white lighting in the classroom and the new ROI,” by Tricia Foster of Acuity Brands Lighting and Catherine Hollenshead of Estes, McClure & Associates (EMA), will feature a case study on a Texas school district’s first-hand experience using tunable white lighting in several classrooms. Here the speakers give a glimpse into the new classroom experience. They will offer up additional details during SIL on how ROI has evolved into “return on objective” (ROO) in such installations. — Carrie Meadows
2018-01-02
ledsmagazine.com