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Several years ago, the Nordonia Hills City School District near Cleveland, Ohio, was looking to implement an energy conservation program. When one of the district’s schools, Rushwood Elementary School, began to study the available options, its administrators considered a number of factors—including the fact that the fluorescent lighting long in use had proven disruptive to some of their special-needs students. The decision was made to install flicker-free LED lighting, which could be easily retrofitted into Rushwood’s existing light fixtures. Following the retrofit, differences were noticed immediately across the school: teachers described the LED light quality as crisper, clearer and brighter, with words on paper easier to read; one teacher reported getting fewer headaches; a special-needs teacher noted a more “mellow feel” in her classroom; and the district reduced its total electric bill by about 11 percent.

Rushwood is just one of an increasing number of success stories across the educational landscape involving the installation of flicker-free LED lighting—an innovation with a wide range of advantages over the traditional fluorescent lights that have illuminated educational institutions for decades. For decision makers involved in the construction and renovation of primary and secondary schools as well as colleges and universities, this option represents a key opportunity. Evidence exists that the flicker and spiky spectrum of traditional fluorescent lighting and early-generation LEDs can be detrimental to the health of those in classrooms and other school facilities, whereas flicker-free, full-spectrum LEDs offer a superior option, all while significantly slashing maintenance costs. Not only can the retrofit be performed without hassle; LED bulbs have an extremely long lifetime, which translates into sharply reduced maintenance costs.

Flicker-free LED lighting offers numerous health and cognitive benefits

What are some of the potential health benefits of flicker-free LED lighting? Pioneering controlled studies conducted by Arnold Wilkins of the University of Essex found the occurrence of headaches in office workers who sat beneath fluorescent lighting all day could be reduced by as much as half following a significant reduction in flicker. In addition to dizziness, migraines, eyestrain and fatigue, it has also been shown that seizures can be triggered by the flicker of traditional fluorescent lighting in individuals with photosensitive epilepsy. And while fluorescent bulbs contain mercury—a material that can present a serious safety risk for students if it comes in contact with lungs or skin—LED bulbs do not. Further, in the long term, the ultraviolet (UV) light generated by fluorescent bulbs can contribute to cataract formation and even macular degeneration, with young students especially at risk from the hazards of UV light. All these drawbacks can be avoided through the use of flicker-free LED lighting.

Along with these benefits, flicker-free LED lighting holds the potential to boost the quality of classroom learning and productivity. This is a natural consequence of the fact that students can concentrate more intently—and for longer periods of time—under this type of illumination. The full spectrum and constant irradiance generated by flicker-free LED lighting contribute to greater illumination and sharper color contrast, which in turn can enhance the quality of learning. Such improvements in learning and behavior may be most striking in the population of students with autism, due to their visual hypersensitivity, as well as those with other learning disabilities, as shown, for example in studies by Alexandria Kappel at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The full-spectrum light from LED (but not fluorescent) lighting, which matches that from the sun, can also promote a healthier sleep-wake cycle in students.

Nor do the advantages of flicker-free LED lighting end at the classroom door; they can also improve the quality of the student experience in gymnasiums and shop classes. For example, under fluorescent lights with a high flicker rate, a basketball thrown across a gym can display a distracting, near-stroboscopic effect. And for those using lathes in metalworking and woodworking classes, the decreased visibility that results from the flicker of fluorescent lighting can pose a safety risk that can be avoided with flicker-free LED lighting.

Significant cost benefits can result from flicker-free LED lighting

In conjunction with these advantages, flicker-free LED lighting can offer significant maintenance cost savings and ease of installation. Converting from fluorescent lighting to LED lighting is increasingly being recognized as a key contributor to environmental sustainability. It is estimated that there are 12 billion fluorescent sockets worldwide; retrofitting all of them with LED lights has the potential to reduce electricity consumption by 960 billion kilowatt-hours globally, the equivalent of removing 679 million tons of CO2 per year. This helped to increase sales of the . Various school districts have reported savings in the millions of dollars as a result of retrofitting their fixtures with flicker-free LED lighting. Manufacturers of flicker-free LED lighting provide retrofit kits that can be utilized either by school maintenance staff or by third parties.

In addition, the emergence of building Internet-of-Things (“IoT”), leveraged upon rapidly evolving software, electronics, sensor and cloud technologies, will enable LED lighting systems to serve as the hub of connectivity to manage and control IoT devices across school buildings and campuses, thereby substantially optimizing building energy efficiency, improving building performances and elevating the student and faculty experience.

To date, the health and economic advantages of retrofitting with flicker-free LED lighting have been recognized and implemented by more than 230 leading educational institutions, ranging from the University of Minnesota and Yale University to Penn State University and Ohio State University, as well as numerous school districts across the country.

Considering the array of health, learning and economic benefits it offers, flicker-free LED lighting represents a bold advance that is well worth assessing by all stakeholders in the area of school construction, renovation and retrofit.

John Davenport is Chief Scientist at Energy Focus, Inc., an industry-leading innovator of energy-efficient LED lighting technologies and solutions.����������

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The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and International Building Code (IBC) mandated that emergency lighting ensure sufficient light along the path of egress in the event of a power outage or other emergency. Although this is typically the domain of electrical engineers, many lighting designers and architects prefer to meet these requirements with aesthetic solutions that fit into the building’s overall design.

Dedicated emergency lighting, however, is often seen as utilitarian, obtrusive and even ugly. One of the most common, low-cost options involves two lamps and a bulky battery pack that is often referred to as a “bug-eye” light.

Fortunately, More Stylish Options Exist

At the top of this list is incorporating existing architectural lighting in the emergency lighting plan. In this approach, the architectural lights operate as normal. If utility power is lost, however, supplemental power can be supplied via an inverter.

“Our goal, if at all possible, is to have the architectural lighting system also double as the emergency lighting system,” said John Decker, IALD, principal, of Valencia, Calif.-based Lighting Design Studio, a multidisciplinary firm.

While this approach is ideal, there are many situations in which the existing lighting will not provide the requisite illumination along the entire path. When this occurs, lighting designers often seek out more high-end, stylish fixtures. Even such items as bug-eyes and exit signs are available in more aesthetic versions.

“The look is very important,” said Decker. “It may seem small, but it could make a difference in how you experience that space and everything is ‘an experience’ with architecture,” explained Decker. “So we try and find aesthetic alternatives to maintain the beauty of the space while still meeting code requirements.”

Stylish Emergency Lights

Although typically the responsibility of electrical engineers, Decker said this doesn’t mean architects and lighting designers do not have a role to play. He often reviews and comments on proposed emergency lighting solutions.

When a modern, streamlined look is required, Decker said he often recommends products from emergency lighting manufacturers, such as Isolite, that specialize in high-end alternatives. This can include more stylish versions of bug-eye lights as well as a variety of options that keep emergency lighting out of view until needed. This includes lighting that remains fully recessed behind two flat panel doors that open only when power is lost. Some are even designed to blend in with the existing décor by being painted or covered with wallpaper.

“The [more stylish] products look so nice and clean,” said Decker. “You don’t have to see a bug-eye on the wall, but in emergency loss of power, the doors open and the lamps pop out to do their work.”

Recessed LED emergency lighting mounted 18 inches above the floor is another option. The lights are directed towards the floor to more effectively illuminate the path of egress than traditional ceiling or wall-mounted emergency lights. “Lighting the path of egress from a lower vantage point makes sense in situations where there is a fire because all the smoke rises, and [if it were higher], it could block some of the light,” said Decker.

To read the entire article, check out the November/December issue of .

Bill Lynch is president of Berwyn, Pa.-headquartered Isolite, an independent emergency lighting manufacturer focused on providing energy-efficient life safety solutions to North American and global markets.

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