What should you know about human centric lighting ?

You may have come across the term human centric lighting (HCL) more often over the last few years. It is a concept that nearly all lighting manufacturers have started to explore further.

As the technology behind lamps, luminaires and lighting control systems progresses, so too does our ability to build responsive, ‘smart’ environments. Whilst we often focus on the energy and cost saving benefits of these technologies, they also provide the opportunity to create optimised spaces that enrich the health and well-being of their human occupants.

Back in the early 00’s scientists started to become more aware of the impact of light on the cognitive and biological processes of the human body. Specifically, light’s entrainment of circadian rhythms. Circadian (Roughly translated in Latin as "almost a day") rhythm is the internal 24-hour clock ticking away at the back of your brain, dictating your body’s sleep-wake cycle. In simplest terms: if an individual’s exposure to natural daylight, during waking hours, is disrupted, then so too is their circadian rhythm. This, more often than not, leads to negative effects on the individual. The fatigue and disorientation perceived during jet lag is an example of the consequences of a disrupted circadian rhythm.

Essentially, human centric lighting (HCL) will demonstrate an awareness of the effects of light on circadian rhythms and automatically adjust accordingly. A HCL system in a building will respond to the needs of its occupants, mimicking natural daylight with cool white light in the morning, and adapting to a warmer light setting in late afternoon/evening as user’s rhythms draw closer to a sleep phase.

Opportunities opened by human centric lighting

Manufacturers in the lighting industry have been exploring the possibilities of human centric lighting for several years now. Many have started developing solutions that can help their customers optimise working environments and create comfortable living spaces that are responsive to the needs of workers and homeowners.

We asked Mark King (Product Line Manager of Lighting at Eaton), Bianca van de Zande (Scientist at Signify Lighting - formally Philips Lighting) and Dieter Lang (Human Centric Lighting Expert at LEDVANCE) to give us some insight into how HCL is influencing product development and suggest the opportunities that the technology could be opening up for electrical contractors.

How is the effect of lighting on human physiology and psychology influencing product development?

Bianca (Signify ): We have long known about the impact of lighting on people both physiologically and psychologically. However, it is since 2002 that scientists discovered the third receptor in the eye and through this, the influence of non-visual light on our circadian rhythm. Additionally to the progress in science, the LED technology makes light much more energy efficient and allows for spectral tuning more easily, while Connected lighting allows for personalization, easy control and sensoring. These innovations allowed us to fine-tune lighting with precision, enabling us to create recipes and ambiences that have a measured benefit for people. We have worked with research institutes, and universities and implemented applications in hospitals and schools. What we’ve learned is now being applied to office lighting. As far as future product development is concerned, we are constantly exploring new possibilities.”

Mark (Eaton): Eaton has always developed products around people – taking into consideration issues such as glare, uniformity and cylindrical illuminance. However, what has perhaps changed is the wider understanding of the impact lighting has on the body, from influencing the body’s circadian rhythm to affecting general well-being. One could argue that this is still not fully understood across the industry. And the reality is that product development across businesses will not be fully impacted until this wider industry understanding is in place. At Eaton, we’ve always focused on making what matters work and this is particularly true when it comes to lighting. For example, if you take an office block, the cost of the staff will be much higher than the rent and energy costs, so it makes sense that greater emphasis should be focused on lighting the area to maximise staff comfort levels, rather than focusing on just energy costs or material costs.”

Dieter (LEDVANCE): Users’ needs are the key element that drives all of our product development efforts, particularly when it comes to Human Centric Lighting. Our goal is to offer plug & play HCL products that provide more than just the right light at the right time. From our viewpoint, general lighting HCL product must also be very easy to use and install without the hassle of complex lighting design or massive installation efforts up front.

Our initial offering will comprise luminaires with tunable colour temperature and intensity, as well as luminaires for different applications like flat panels, spotlights or downlights in a first step. For a complete solution, in addition to the luminaires, also suitable controls are required. That’s why we are, for instance, working on intelligent switches, which automatically adjust the artificial light automatically to changes in natural daylight, while still giving individual freedom to the user to adapt the light to his own preferences.

Do you think it is important for electrical contractors to get to grips with HCL?

Dieter (LEDVANCE): HCL bears massive opportunities for lighting providers, wholesalers, retailers and, first and foremost, end users and consumers. Installers that want to stay a competent partner for their customers, therefore, need to familiarize themselves with the concepts of HCL, learn about the opportunities that come with HCL as well as its limitations.

Bianca (Signify ): Human centric lighting will be a hot trend in lighting over the next few years. It will become increasingly important for electrical contractors that specialize in lighting to get up to speed with the evolving needs of their customers and the latest technology trends, such as connected lighting and human centric lighting technologies. The installation phase for the latter is important as colour temperature and control of its rhythm are vital for the performance of human centric lighting. Integration with control systems is therefore crucial. The education of installers in this respect is therefore important and manufacturers like Philips Lighting have a role to play in this.”

Mark (Eaton): Electrical contractors and installers should make an effort to get to grips with the key concepts surrounding human centric lighting. It would mean added value for the manufacturers and installers as well as offering an added benefit for the end user – whether that is an individual or a building operator improving a large workspace. Of course, not everyone needs to be an expert in the matter but, with the concept of human centric lighting taking root, understanding the human centric focus will help position the contractor for the future.”

How can contractors start providing the benefits of HCL today?

Dieter (LEDVANCE): Learning about the concepts of HCL and educating their customers about the potential is certainly the first step for installers at this stage. However, low hanging fruits are rare, as most products out there today are targeted at the very high-end segment of the market, are complex and therefore require a full-blown lighting design project. We, on the other hand, believe that HCL products need to be intuitive for everyone involved – including the installers. That’s why we are in the process of developing plug & play intelligent products for HCL to essentially and truly make its way into general lighting.

Mark (Eaton): When approaching a lighting project, installers must remember that staff in the building will be the most expensive asset. While choosing an energy efficient – and cost-effective – product is important, choosing the right luminaire to light the space in the best way to maximise staff productivity will always deliver the best results. By working with a reputable manufacturer, installers can ensure that the new lighting scheme considers all these factors and has a positive impact on both the physiology and psychology of employees in the building.”