Applications > Education
Lighting in care & education
Lighting plays an important role in schools and care facilities in many different ways. It can directly affect how well students see and learn, it is also a major consumer of energy.
As a teacher or board member, you have the opportunity to create a real living and learning environment through lighting that improves perception, engagement and focus in the classroom or room.
Light quality
Pupils need healthy and comfortable environments. A lighting upgrade will help pupils to see all areas of the classroom (and the rest of the school) clearly. In addition, upgrading with LED lighting can effectively reduce glare and flicker, which not only negatively affect students but also teachers.
Fluorescent lighting, the type of lighting most commonly used in schools, unknowingly annoys pupils. In addition, some pupils are very sensitive to the subtle flickering of direct fluorescent light, which can cause headaches, eye strain and irritability. High-quality LED luminaires solve this problem.
Circadian Rhythm
When discussing the benefits of a lighting upgrade, another important topic is the circadian rhythm. Our circadian rhythm is an internal, biological clock that helps our bodies determine when to wake up, when to sleep, and even when to concentrate and when to relax.
On average, students today sleep about two hours less than they used to. This is due to reduced exposure to natural daylight and other factors, such as the use of electronic devices at bedtime. Both affect our circadian rhythms. This pattern can potentially lead to sleep problems and behavioural issues. This is linked to a delayed production of the sleep hormone melatonin. It is therefore a disturbance of the biological clock. Choosing the right lighting, the right amount of light and colour temperature at the right time can help tackle this.
Light control
A controllable lighting system can provide teachers with an additional tool in the classroom, helping to attract pupils' attention, promote relaxation or cool down after the break, and provide the right lighting levels for specific tasks. Choosing the right light intensity or colour temperature for different school tasks will only be beneficial for the pupils.
Working with whiteboards or smart boards, taking notes during presentations, doing computer work or taking exams in full focus all require different lighting characteristics.
Smart Lighting
Today's advanced LED lighting fixtures can create entire "smart schools" with built-in sensors, and luminaires that communicate with each other
On the one hand, automatic dimming makes it possible to save on energy bills. LED luminaires can be equipped with 'daylight dimming' so that they automatically react to ambient light levels and dim unnecessary light in good time.
On the other hand, the opportunities that schools have by installing smart lighting solutions are much broader than just energy and maintenance savings: Modern smart lighting products can help schools and universities monitor their environment, increase the safety of students and staff or improve connectivity as "LiFi" hotspots.
