| Analyzing a business, what is the one item that | | | | the corners tending to hold a strong glare? No! |
| simply "needs to work"? Sure, in the summer, the | | | | Everything was presented in crisp, clean light |
| response is likely A/C, and it definitely could be a | | | | approaching the tones of daylight, and why might |
| serious detriment to productivity, but there's an | | | | that be? A jewelry store's interest is in making |
| even more base requirement. No, it's not that | | | | their product look stunning, and they embrace |
| Blackberry or iPhone, rather, it is lighting. A dark | | | | proper lighting to emphasize that goal. The same, |
| environment makes doing business nearly | | | | in effect, is true in any other business. When the |
| impossible. Yet, it is the very equipment which | | | | lighting is at its best, employees, customers, and |
| allows a company to continue operating | | | | the actions each take are as well. This translates |
| effectively that is seen as simply another | | | | into a variety of benefits for the company. In |
| consumable. In recent years, more attention has | | | | healthcare, a clean light allows medical practitioners |
| been brought to illumination as a means of "going | | | | to diagnose and treat patients most effectively. |
| green" through the use of CFLs (Compact | | | | On the manufacturing floor, proper lighting |
| Fluorescent Lights) and, on a smaller scale, LEDs | | | | improves safety through a reduction in accidents |
| (Light Emitting Diodes). The efforts are laudable, | | | | and can provide a boost to quality control |
| and much improvement has been made, | | | | standards. Even in the classroom, a well-illuminated |
| however, lights are still seen as an end in and of | | | | environment has been linked to an improvement |
| themselves, not as a means to improving the | | | | in test scores and student behavior. |
| business's bottom line. | | | | So, for those who passed on perusing The Article |
| What could this possibly mean? Surely lights have | | | | No One Will Read, here is the necessary |
| two levels of benefits: longer life and lower | | | | summary: |
| energy consumption, but is it surprising to hear | | | | Proper lighting is less common than it should be, |
| that they actually have many more effects? | | | | but not troublesome to resolve |
| Take an office environment, for example. A | | | | Well-lit environments allow everyone and |
| comprehensive lighting audit should result in lower | | | | everything to operate at their best |
| operating costs and reduced maintenance, but, if | | | | Beneficial light and cost savings can go |
| done properly, should also improve the quality of | | | | hand-in-hand |
| light, reducing eye strain (a cause of headaches), | | | | Including a lighting audit within a company's |
| increasing productivity, and, reducing absenteeism! | | | | sustainability initiative can pay large dividends |
| Right, and the company is on the Fortune 500 in | | | | - Going Green, |
| 3-month's time. Sarcasm aside, these are all true | | | | - Brightening the office, |
| (well, maybe not the Fortune 500, yet). Think | | | | - Reducing the energy bill, |
| about the last visit to a jewelry store. Were their | | | | - and replacing fewer lightsare all a singular goal! |
| lights a dull yellow, with areas of bluish hue, and | | | | |