Students
Everyone is in favor of creating the best possible learning environment for students. Optimal lighting plays a more important role than most realize.
Studies have shown a typical U.S. student spends 8,884 hours over nine years to complete primary and lower secondary education. A paper presented at the 5th International Conference on Smart Learning Ecosystems and Regional Development assessed that classroom lighting does affect cognition and that LED lighting appears to be the most suitable to improve psychological and cognitive processes in the classroom.
A study by Advances in Pediatric Research found that higher correlated color temperature positively impacts alertness, attitude and energy level. The findings also showed that the ability to change light levels throughout the school day can positively impact student engagement and mood.
Teachers
Teachers use every option available to create the optimum learning environment for their students.
Any lighting solution that improves attention, mood and energy (as cited above) will be appreciated by teachers. But they prefer lighting systems that aren’t complicated to manage.
Lighting control is especially necessary in hybrid teaching instruction as projectors and other displays are in use. A control switch that allows a teacher to control their classroom ‘world’ with dimming and scene lighting (and at the touch of a button with no disruption) will be hugely beneficial.
Facilities Managers
Lighting the variety of environments in a school is also a concern for facility managers. From the median elementary school at 84,700 square feet to the median high school at 173,727 square feet, schools are large facilities that require plenty of fixtures.
Bright light is needed for classwork. Lighting for a gym’s high ceilings must be powerful enough to prevent accidents. And library lighting needs to be comfortable for studying and for computer work. And we haven’t even talked about places like labs, music rooms, auditoriums, cafeterias or the multitude of other spaces in today’s schools.
All those lights are also expected to be functioning at full capacity. Facility managers transitioning from older fluorescent fixtures will recognize the value of LED lights that require less maintenance and come with extended lifespans and 10-year warranties. No more running around trying to find the right size and color fluorescent tube while a whole classroom waits.
School Districts
The district will be focused on the financial picture and achieving energy savings and economies of scale for multiple schools. That’s why they often prefer to work with an ESCO that can handle an overall energy conservation effort for lighting, HVAC, etc.
In addition to baseline savings districts can expect from upgrading to LEDs, they will also appreciate the impact of smart lighting features on electricity costs. Occupancy sensors can address lights left burning in empty classrooms or cafeterias, while daylight harvesting sensors can decrease the need for full interior lights during the brightest hours of the day. And, where these features work automatically, schools don’t have to depend on any action by staff or students to help them lower energy costs.
The district will also be aware of the bottom line in ongoing facility maintenance costs. The prospect of having ‘install it and forget it’ LED fixtures will be a big bonus.
