Proper lighting plays an important role in the aesthetic and ambiance of an indoor space. For businesses and commercial facilities it is crucial to give attention to the layouts for lighting. Plentiful, uniform lighting improves visibility and reduces eye strain for office workers, in particular. As such, a well-lit office may improve overall productivity.

Businesses are increasingly adopting Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights to provide affordable, high-quality lighting in their office space. LED lights consume less electricity than traditional light sources such as incandescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes.

ATG Electronics offers a diverse line of LED lighting and fixtures for indoor office use. We’re one of the top commercial lighting manufacturers and suppliers in the U.S. and it’s because of our commitment to excellence that we provide products that are efficient, durable, and register well on what’s known as the Color Rendering Index (CRI).

What is the Color Rendering Index?

Consider the direct impact lighting can have on employees. While subjective assessments of light quality are important, an objective measure helps decision makers select an optimal lighting solution for their application and environment.

The Color Rendering Index (CRI) offers a way to quantify the quality of light. The CRI uses eight pastel colors to determine how a solid-state light source renders color. The CRI operates on the following principle: If a light source renders the eight standard pastel colors well, it will also render all colors well.

A light source’s CRI ranges from 0-100. This number indicates how well a specific light source shows colors in comparison to a standard light. For example, most natural daylight has a CRI of about 75. The scale works as follows:

• The closer the CRI is to 100, the better the light source is at accurately rendering colors.
• A CRI value from 90-100 is considered excellent.
• CRI values between 60-85 are considered good.
• CRI values less than 55 are poor at color rendering.

LED lights generally have a CRI of 80-90, which means their light output is very similar to or more optimal than natural daylight. Colors lit by LED lights are almost identical to their color in natural sunlight. At the same time, LED lights can be brighter than natural light and are more cost-effective than conventional light bulbs. Conventional light sources such as fluorescent tubes can render colors very differently than natural light, making them appear artificial and causing undue strain on the human eye.

In addition to color quality, LED lights have a much longer service life than incandescent bulbs or fluorescents. LED lights are an optimal light source for achieving good-to-excellent CRI for your business while keeping expenses low.

Where on the CRI Scale is Office Lighting?

Businesses should strive to make their office lighting as close to natural light as possible. Doing so will improve employee wellness, morale, and productivity. Dim or poor quality lighting not only contributes to physical strain, but can have a greater impact on accomplishing tasks that are tied into your business goals. Simply put: the environment you create is the setting for success.

Research supports these claims. For example, hospital lighting has a direct impact on the performance of nurses.  Another study showed that improving the lighting in post offices tremendously improved the productivity of postal workers.

Daylight has a CRI of around 75, which means businesses should aim to achieve a CRI of 75 or better in their offices. Since LED lights have a CRI of about 85, they provide an optimal choice for commercial office lighting. As they cost less per year of service due to their long life and low power consumption, LED lights also offer additional long-term cost savings.

ATG Electronics is a leader in retrofitting conventional lighting systems with LEDs, helping businesses to improve employee productivity while reducing lighting expenses. Contact us today to discuss your commercial or industrial lighting needs.