The Power of Natural Light: Lighting Hacks for a Brighter, More Energy-Efficient Summer 

While we don’t use as much energy in summer as we do in winter, there are still several ways to optimise your energy usage and become even more efficient during the warmest and brightest months of the year. 

 

Natural light is one of the most practical ways to cut your business energy consumption. Since the clocks have gone forward, daylight shines brighter than ever, and days are longer, spring and summer are the perfect seasons to make the most of the natural daylight. By switching off your lights and opening the blinds you could save hundreds of pounds in your business electricity bills. 

Use of artificial light in offices 

Office buildings are some of the worst for excessive use of artificial lighting. Often fitted with bright white lights to keep spaces lit around the clock, many of the buildings and businesses fail to utilise what incredible access they have to natural sunlight. While most of these modern buildings are made with high glass windows and ceilings with skylights, the lights always seem to be on. And while this can be good for brightening spaces and creating a welcoming environment there are some potential negative effects of artificial light that you should be aware of. 

The potential negative effects of artificial light 

Prolonged exposure to such bright levels of artificial light has the potential to impact your wellbeing at work. Some researchers suggest too much exposure to light that is consistently providing a strong, bright light, can increase levels of stress hormones, having a negative effect on productivity levels. It has also been suggested that some forms of artificial lighting are more likely to cause headaches or eye strain in professionals. Which, we know, are already two major contributing factors that impact productivity in the workplace. 

 

The power of natural light for motivation and work productivity 

While we are not always fortunate to have bright sunny days, when we are, it is certainly a good idea to make the most of it. Not only can you opt to turn off your artificial lighting and save on electricity but the exposure to artificial lighting can benefit the wellbeing of your workplace too. 

 

Numerous studies have shown that office workers who are exposed to natural light throughout the day, or have a clear view outside a window, are more likely to notice a spike in creativity and productivity levels. Meanwhile their wellbeing has shown to improve, and levels of stress, reduced. Other research has even found that more natural light sources within workplaces can help to reduce the number of absent days per employee! Not only are the staff kept happy but the business operations can benefit from greater efficiency and productivity. A little sunlight can provide a number of benefits for all – It’s a win, win for businesses. 

How to maximise natural light exposure in your office 

If your office space has limited exposure to sunlight in the daytime, there are a number of ways that you can maximise this or make the most out of the light you do see. 

 

• Keep walls and ceilings a bright and light colour – this will help to provide more light reflection around the office and provide visual indoor comfort for your teams. 

 

• Consider adjusting your artificial lighting – opt for smart lighting to have greater control over the colour and brightness of your artificial lighting throughout the day. This way you can combine both the natural light and artificial light to create an optimum working environment for everyone. 

 

• Place furniture and desks towards natural light sources – so that everyone in your office experiences some exposure to natural light, choose wisely where you opt to place your furniture. Even being sat near a window has been shown to improve productivity levels for office workers. 

 

• Consider skylights – If you do not have the ability to install new windows, sky lights may be the next best thing. They are excellent options for those who want a view of the sky and exposure to sunlight throughout the day from the ceiling. 

 

While it may not be a quick or easy fix, exposure to natural light in your office is not only a great way to cut your energy costs but improve the wellbeing and mood of your office overall. Both for the business and your employees, natural light is an important element that helps to create a healthy and productive work environment. It is therefore, certainly worth considering maximising this where you can and reducing your use of artificial lighting, where possible.