Indoor Lighting for Stairwell
Commercial and industrial buildings of all types, shapes and sizes have stairways to allow for employees and customers to traverse to different levels as well as enter and exit buildings. Stairways and the surrounding areas are critical for everyday operations and usually have significant foot traffic. Because they are also inherently more prone to accidents than other areas of a building, visibility is essential. Whether they be indoor or outdoor, stairway lighting has always been an important part of facility design.
Thankfully, lighting technology has improved massively over the past decade, with significant advancements in performance, cost reduction and reliability. At Commercial LED Lights, we are proud to provide state-of-the-art stairway lighting solutions for all types of applications, whether they be indoor or outdoor areas. These lights ensure the safety and security of users, and save owners a significant amount operating costs while providing superior performance.
Indoor Stair Lighting Fixture Types
Interior stairways such as those found within commercial office buildings are usually quite flexible regarding the type of fixture that can be used. There are several common fixture types used in these applications, which are often used in conjunction with each other in different areas of a stairwell for the most effective lighting configuration possible. Below are the three most common fixture types used in indoor stairwell lighting applications:
Why Use LEDs?
There are a multitude of reasons why using LEDs for stairway lighting is the best choice, namely improvements in both energy efficiency and also improved visibility and lighting quality. Additionally, the LED bulbs and fixtures have a much longer usable lifespan, meaning less down time for stairways, staircases and stairwell areas. This is especially important for faculties with a limited number of staircases, or areas where there is high traffic and significant costs associated with delays caused by downtime.
As mentioned previously, visibility is one of the top priorities for stairway applications, as most trip and fall accidents are a result of poor visibility causing an individual to lose their footing or misjudge a steps location. Contrary to popular belief, visibility isn’t entirely reliant strictly on lumen output. Having a high lighting accuracy is also important, which is measured using the Color Rendering Index (CRI). LED lights have the highest CRI ratings in the lighting industry, resulting in less eye strain and easier color recognition and therefore improved visibility.
On top of improved visibility and longer lifespans, LEDs also are significantly more energy efficient than their traditional counterparts. In fact, when upgrading to LED technology, users often find they save up to 70% more in energy costs when compared to their old lighting setups. This energy savings is very important for commercial and industrial applications where lights are often on for extended periods of time, often 24/7. The savings in electricity costs alone usually covers the costs of an upgrade within the first year of operation.