USAI Lighting Revolutionizes LED Capabilities with Patented Color Select Technology

CORPORATE

Architects and interior designers responsible for today’s corporate workplaces are constantly challenged to determine what will be the most appropriate lighting for the varied and ever-changing tasks of workers. With Color Select as an option, the lighting can be customized for each employee and task. 

“Lighting research reveals that anyone located more than 10 feet from a window will typically not receive the sun's circadian benefits from natural daylight, and many office interiors have windowless workspaces, so people are deprived of this circadian stimulus,” said Littman. “Disruption to circadian rhythms shortens sleep/wake cycles and poses serious health risks due to suppression of melatonin, our sleep hormone. So, with the installation of Color Select, office lighting can be tuned throughout the day to simulate the light-dark cycle helping to reinforce circadian rhythms and, in turn, increase productivity and general well-being.”

RESIDENTIAL AND HOSPITALITY           

Color Select presents a new opportunity for designers to effortlessly match light with different décor styles and moods. For instance, it allows the white light in an all-white surface treatment application to be precisely selected to more definitively amplify minimalist architecture, or the color temperature can be tuned down to emphasize the cozy ambiance of a rustic kitchen. With Color Select, lighting can also adapt to the changes to finish selections interior designers may make in the midst of the design process without investing in new or added fixtures.            

Designers will also appreciate how Color Select can recreate the fluctuations of natural daylight in hotels and homes to enhance activities such as waking, exercising, dining, and lounging. By setting Color Select to warm “sunset” color temperatures and lower light intensities, a spa environment can fully promote relaxation and enhance skin tones, while in a gym, setting Color Select to a cooler temperature and higher light intensity can serve to energize guests and keep them focused. 

HEALTHCARE/LONG-TERM CARE                       

Designers specializing in healthcare facilities know the environments they create have to be sensitive to the often-conflicting needs of both patients and caregivers. Color Select provides the flexibility required for these unique demands.                                   

One example of lighting’s impact in this category derives from research with Alzheimer patients. It’s been found that the right prescription of light color and intensity can boost their memory and wakefulness, reduce irritability, and realign them with their natural 24-hour circadian rhythm, which helps them complete the multiple stages of sleep.                                    

“We’ve learned that patients rest better and heal faster when lighting is at warmer color temperatures no higher than 3000K, whereas hospital staff need higher color temperatures and light levels to perform their work, examine the patient, administer treatments, read their charts and stay alert and focused,” said Littman. “Being able to provide the variability and flexibility to adjust light settings that satisfy these diverse situations and needs is now an easy remedy for designers who incorporate Color Select into their projects.” 

EDUCATION

Lighting affects behavior in the classroom, with numerous studies reporting that dedicated light settings can improve a student’s attention span, concentration and learning. According to one study, even test scores could be impacted by the precise color temperature of light in a room. While individual learning styles differ, common to everyone is an internal biological clock that’s affected by the right balance of light color at the right time of day, and that, in turn, can affect attention span and the ability to focus.                                               

"Color Select is a smart choice for classroom interiors. From pre-K to university its flexibility is unmatched," said Littman. 

RETAIL

Retail also is ripe for Color Select and the tunability it brings to lighting, especially considering how greatly lighting impacts purchasing behavior for everything from carrots in the produce section of a grocery to the carats in the display case of a jeweler.            

Every retail environment has a common goal — to sell — and a successful sales environment provides clear visual cues to guide the customer, support their decision-making process, reduce stress during POS and convey branding for repeat business. How these four objectives are achieved vary greatly by what is being sold. Orange carrots prefer a warm tone and wide beam spread at medium intensity, while diamonds prefer a cool tone and narrow beam at high intensity. And, what makes Color Select a reliable “go to” for any type of retail is that it allows the lighting to help define the experience for whatever goods are being sold.

“We’re learning more about this frontier almost daily,” said Littman. “For instance, a recent study has shown that approximately 60% of purchasing decisions for clothing are made in the fitting room, so we interpret that as meaning selectable lighting in changing areas is the future of retail. With Color Select, customers can use controls to see garments in the lighting situations in which they will be worn, such as office, evening, gym, poolside and more – providing different color temperatures and intensities to match the scenarios.”                                                                                                                                                 In a single fixture, Color Select can also highlight various types of products, retail displays and ambiances to fit the moods of the specific retail environment, season and consumer. Color Select’s downlight, adjustable and wall wash options additionally provide maximum flexibility in highlighting different areas and products within a store.