In recent years, more and more schools have started the process of removing the old fluorescent lighting systems that have been utilized for several decades and replacing them with the technologically-advanced lighting systems that are currently available.
Schools that wanted to reduce their operating costs, eliminate high energy bills, and positively contribute to the environment initiated these lighting retrofits; however, now that many schools have put new lighting into place, they have discovered a dramatic increase in academic performance among students.
The high-quality illumination of today’s lighting seems to open the minds of students. If you own, manage, or work in a school, you may want to consider a lighting retrofit for your educational facility.
When opting for a lighting retrofit, you should opt for dynamic lighting. This type of lighting is said to boost and support the performance of students. Researchers conducted studies in South Korea on lighting in the classroom. Each lighting type evaluated was characterized based on their color temperatures or CCTs.
Measurements were taken using the popular Kelvin Scale. According to the research, it was concluded that lighting has the ability to influence peoples’ well-being. It has been found that the lighting that we are subjected to on a regular basis has the ability to influence our physical well-being and our mental well-being. Schools that had poor lighting often exhibited poor performance – in terms of academics.
Two different classrooms were evaluated in the study. In these classrooms, there were a total of 54 kids taking a math test. In one class, there was LED lights that had the standard in fluorescent lighting. In the other classroom, there were LED lights that could be changed from warm lighting, to neutral lighting, to a cool, blue-type light that resembles daylight (6500 K). At the end of the study, the kids that were subjected to the 6500 K lighting were said to be more alert and they all scored much better on their test.
In addition to this point, it was found that warm lighting may relax kids and standard lighting may be appropriate for activities that involve reading. If kids are performing highly-intensive academics, 6500 K lighting should be in place.
If you are considering a lighting retrofit for your school, you may also want to consider utilizing specular reflectors. It is common for schools to put in painted baffles underneath the new lighting. There are several issues that may arise with this system.
Examples include non-uniformity in lighting and inefficiency. It is best to use specular reflectors because these provide a high level of light uniformity, result in larger amounts of light, and only require about half the energy of standard lighting. By simply opting for a lighting retrofit with specular reflectors, you will dramatically enhance the light within your school and boost your students’ academic performance.
