How to illuminate a laboratory
When you think about laboratories, are schools the first place that comes to your mind? You’re not alone and you are right; there are a lot of laboratories in schools but do not forget professional companies and several other places. And how do you light up these laboratories? After reading this blog post, you will have the answer!
There are a lot of different types of laboratories out there: in high-tech drug companies, in Government research and trading standards bodies, in supermarket chains and at food producers, and not to forget: in the lighting industry. All these different types of laboratories are naturally not lit in the same way, and when designing the lighting for a laboratory, the needs of the people using it are especially important.
Factors such as the color rendering and energy efficiency are important to keep in mind. Generally, Lumega recommend using LED lighting units wherever possible, which in this case will be everywhere in the laboratory. LED comes with numerous advantages; compared to fluorescent tubes, they have a longer lifetime, the lighting units are lit right away and do not need to warm up to reach the maximum luminous intensity and they have a better lighting quality. Furthermore, the LEDs is 40-50 % more energy efficient than traditional light sources.
Designing the lighting
When designing the lighting in a laboratory, there are several questions you could ask:
- Should the lighting reveal imperfections on surfaces or degrees of cloudiness in liquids?
- Do fine divisions on a thermometer or pipette need to be seen?
- Should luminaires be easy to clean, e.g. be closed or sealed?
In general, it is also important to focus on the more general aspects of lighting such as glare, horizontal and semi-cylindrical illuminance. It is important to remember that most laboratories nowadays have installed computers where the staff can work.
At Lumega, we offer numerous LED solutions that fit perfectly in laboratories. The general rules for lighting in laboratories demand a color rendering on CRI 90, which all Lumega products can deliver. Our NS30 fits perfectly underneath top cupboards and cabinets. In company with our very small LED linear strips, which can fit everywhere a normal lighting unit might be too big, they are the perfect match for the laboratory. If you choose this combination of lamps, you will get a good illumination of your laboratory.
Contact Lumega today for more information about LED lighting in laboratories or for a casual talk about LED lighting in general.