Colour tuning. How does it work, and what are the benefits?

Colour tuning. How does it work, and what are the benefits?

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From better sleep to increased concentration, colour tunable lighting offers a range of benefits and is becoming increasingly popular

Colour tuning uses different colours of light to create various effects. For example, cool light is known to be stimulating and can help increase alertness, while warm colours like yellow and orange are known to be calming and help reduce stress.

Colour tuning LED lighting is a versatile tool that can support people’s health and well-being, help increase productivity in offices and warehouses and create a relaxing ambience in social settings.

It’s an increasingly popular concept that’s being included in building designs across industries, workplaces, the healthcare and education sectors and residential properties worldwide.  

What is tunable LED lighting?

Not to be mistaken with coloured party light bulbs, colour tuning is the practice of changing light intensity and temperature to mimic natural light progression from daytime to night-time.

The progression is achieved through tunable LED lighting that changes the warmth or coolness of the light by changing the Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT). Across LED lighting, the CCT of the white light emitted is measured in degrees Kelvin, and the spectrum ranges from warm to cool.

You may have heard of colour tuning referred to as:

  • tunable white lighting,
  • dim-to-warm,
  • human-centric lighting, or
  • full colour tunable lighting.

What are the benefits of colour tuning?

Colour tuning LED lighting offers flexibility over traditional lighting, allowing light temperatures to be adjusted to create a dynamic lighting environment.

Our body responds to light cues that release melatonin, the hormone that regulates how sleepy or awake we are. Imitating the natural progression of daylight — exposing people to more natural light patterns, even when spending longer indoors — ‘tricks’ our circadian rhythm – our biological clock. Colour tuning practices can be used in different situations to help improve sleep, increase energy levels, and improve mood. They can also be used to increase productivity and focus.

Colour tuning LED lighting can also be more cost-effective than regular LED lights depending on the standby power used.

As with everything, it’s best to do your research when choosing colour tunable LED lights.

Product Code: ID8W-WF

Our popular POWER-LITE LED WIFI INTEGRAL DOWNLIGHT 8W—CCT saves energy and costs compared to standard halogen downlights. They feature a built-in WIFI receiver for remote control via Smart Life App.

Where are colour tunable lights used?

Colour tunable white LED lights are increasingly used in:

  • Offices – human-centric lighting that mimics daylight hours help office workers avoid the mid-afternoon energy slump and be more productive.
  • Factories and warehouses – cool white light, from around 5,000K to 6,500K, is used where precision and focus are required.
  • Hospitals – increased positive patient outcomes have been seen in hospitals that use colour tunable lighting to mimic daylight hours.
  • Schools – lighting that mimics direct sunlight (approx. 4,800K – 5,000K) can help maintain focus and attention.
  • Retail stores – lighting can be manipulated to generate a particular look and feel around products to encourage purchases.
  • Restaurants and hotel lobbies – human-centric lighting that emits cool light during the day and then dims to warmer in the evening can set a desired ambience depending on the time of day.
Our LED Downlights installed at Mapel Building

How do you control colour tunable LED lights?

There are different ways to control colour tunable LEDs depending on your desired effect. If dimming to warm, a wall mount control with a slide dimmer might be sufficient.

A more complex lighting system is required to achieve the full impact of white tunable lighting or human-centric lighting. A smart lighting system controlled with a phone app or assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant can enable scheduling and occupancy sensing capabilities.

Want to find out more about colour tunable lighting?

Contact Nedlands Group today on 1800 909 306 or email us at [email protected] for more information about our LED colour tunable LED Downlights.

And to see our full range of products, browse our LED lighting fixtures!

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