How to Choose The Correct Lighting For Your Commercial Building

When it comes to commercial buildings, choosing the correct lighting is an extremely important decision. Of course, lighting will make up a large chunk of your business utility costs, and maintenance even more so. It is also necessary to keep you, your customers, and your employees safe, especially in places such as warehouses. Moreover, your choice of lighting will also contribute to setting the mood for your building-- for instance, a restaurant should be able to create a comfy and romantic atmosphere while a warehouse will need a brighter and clear light.

While most owners would insist on natural lighting, this is different when it comes to commercial businesses. A commercial building that has a carefully laid out lighting design includes the balance between natural light and artificial lighting. Artificial lighting works to illuminate areas that may become dingy or dark due to weather changes or time of day. Now, the question that you should ask is how do you go about selecting the type of lighting that is right for your business? To help you answer that, we compiled some trends in lighting in commercial buildings.

Three Main Types of Lighting

When it comes to trends in lighting in commercial buildings, there are three main types found in office settings.

Incandescent - Among the three types, this is the one that is least used in terms of office settings. Incandescent lighting is found in older models of fixtures. Moreover, incandescent bulbs are the least energy-efficient lighting since they burn at a hotter temperature, consume more energy, and have a shorter average life rating. However, this lighting is actually environmentally-friendly despite the higher energy consumption since its filament is made from tungsten-- a non-dangerous metal. Incandescent light is usually available in decorative bulbs

Compact fluorescent lighting - When compared to its incandescent counterpart, compact fluorescent lighting is the superior lighting solution. In most cases, this lasts almost 20 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Compact fluorescent also burns at a cooler temperature while also offering a higher lumen output. Unfortunately, CFL bulbs often use mercury which makes it hard to safely dispose of and they are more prone to flickering than other options.

LED lighting - This is actually what is seen as the best solution in recent years. LED lighting is actually a long-lasting option on the market. They operate at the coolest temperature while at the same time pulling low wattages with exceptionally high lumen outputs. There is, however, one drawback of LED lighting is the initial cost that you have to spend if compared to using the other two options. However, LED lasts longer so you can still get a good return on the investment that you initially put in. Furthermore, LED also comes in a variety of lighting models that are perfect for office lighting such as bulbs, tubes, rope lighting, and many others.

Trends in Lighting in Commercial Buildings

So, we’ve covered the main types of lighting in commercial buildings. If you continue to read on, you’ll now find the trends in lighting in commercial buildings that we’ve come up with.

1. If you want the cheapest option

If you’re more concerned about finding cheap lighting, the best option for you may be compact fluorescent bulbs. CFL bulbs can last up to 10 years and are one of the least expensive options for commercial building owners.

2. If your brand values environmental protection

Well, if you’re one of those businesses that value “going green”, LED lights are your way to go. They are very energy-efficient and you’ll be able to cut down the costs of electricity and even give your building LEED points.

3. If you’re looking for long-lasting lights

One of the long-lasting bulbs around is a fluorescent lightbulb. For areas that are hard to reach such as warehouse ceilings and tall buildings, changing lights can really be a pain in the neck and a safety hazard at the same time. If you use long-lasting lights, you’ll be able to cut down on the costs of maintenance and commercial electrical installation. Fluorescent light bulbs and LED lights are a perfect choice since they have long life expectancies.

4. If you want to cut down on energy costs

In many modern-day businesses, energy efficiency is extremely important. LED lights undeniably offer unparalleled energy efficiency to help offset the initial high cost of installing LEDs.

5. If you’re into a particular color

If you’re more concerned about the color of your lights which is important to your business, you have to make sure that you know the type of light that each type of bulb offers. If you want a more bright blue-white light, compact fluorescent lights and LEDs are ideal. But if you want a brighter yellow light, incandescent bulbs will be ideal for the job.

Aside from worrying about the trends in lighting in commercial buildings, it is likewise important to protect your wirings from external elements. Protect your wirings with the use of access doors and panels. You might want to check out www.accessdoorsandpanels.com to view the products that we can offer you.