Of all the products needed to build new healthcare facilities or update existing ones, none has undergone the basic changes in selection criteria that lighting has, according to an article in Healthcare Design magazine's website.
Lighting has been fundamentally changed by the growing use of LEDs (light-emitting diodes). This shift has changed the way architects, lighting designers, and healthcare facility decision-makers approach purchasing decisions, evaluating the cost of lighting buildings and the quality of the light that’s emitted and its effects on patients and staff, the article said.
Studies comparing traditional fluorescent lighting to LED illumination in healthcare facilities reort that LEDs offer energy savings with fixtures rated to operate for 50,000 or more hours. The studies also cite the visual quality of LED light is maintained over time as the color of the light output remains consistent.
With improvements to existing products and new LED options introduced regularly, the article asks, how do lighting design consultants evaluate products to specify now for a hospital that may not be operational for years?
Read the article and view the photo gallery.
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