School & Classroom Lighting Page 7

Even, Glare-Controlled Light for Desks and Screens

Diffused panels and troffers spread light evenly across the room, so there are no dark corners at the back and no hot spots washing out a desk or a monitor. That even coverage matters more now that most rooms mix printed material with screens and interactive boards.

Cooler Light That Supports Focus

Warm light is relaxing, which is the opposite of what you want during a math lesson. Cooler light in the 4000K to 5000K range reads as clean daylight and helps keep students alert, which is why it has become the default for education spaces. Most fixtures in this collection are offered in that range.

Fixtures for Every Ceiling on Campus

Not every room has a suspended grid. This collection covers recessed panels and troffers for grid ceilings, surface-mount wraparound and strip fixtures for hard or drywall ceilings, and under-cabinet lights for lab benches and workstations, so you can spec one supplier for the whole building.

Lower Operating Cost and Rebate Eligibility

An LED fixture pulls far fewer watts than the fluorescent it replaces, and a large share of this collection carries a DLC or DLC Premium listing. That listing is usually what makes a fixture eligible for a utility rebate. Our rebates and incentives page shows how to find your local program.

How many foot-candles does a classroom need?

The IES puts a typical classroom at about 50 foot-candles, measured at desk height. Elementary rooms can sit closer to 30, while lab work, art, and detailed tasks call for around 75. Whiteboards and screens are their own consideration, since you want enough light on the board without throwing reflections back at the class, so plan the layout around what actually happens in each room.

Can we set different color temperatures for different rooms?

Yes. A large share of the fixtures here are CCT-selectable, meaning you pick the color temperature with a switch on the fixture at install, so the same part number can go in at 3500K in a reading room and 5000K in a lab. Keep in mind that is set at installation, not something a teacher changes mid-lesson. If you want light that shifts through the day, that calls for a dedicated tunable-white or RGBW fixture, which the catalog carries in a smaller selection.

How many lumens do I need for a classroom?

Classroom lighting typically aims for about 500 to 1000 lux. For a standard classroom of around 60 square meters, roughly 30,000 to 60,000 lumens is generally advised (1 lux equals 1 lumen per square meter). Actual needs vary with student age, activities, and available natural light — see our guide on how to calculate how many lumens you need.

Does light flicker actually affect students?

Yes, more than people expect. Old fluorescent lighting pulses at a rate the eye does not consciously catch, and that flicker has been tied to eye strain and headaches over a full school day, with a bigger effect on light-sensitive students. Quality LED fixtures run on flicker-free drivers, which removes that problem entirely.

What fixtures work if a classroom does not have a drop-ceiling grid?

Plenty of older schools have hard plaster or drywall ceilings with no grid to drop a panel into. For those rooms, look at surface-mount wraparound fixtures and LED strip lights, which mount flush to the ceiling or hang on chains or cables. They put out the same clean light as a recessed panel without needing a grid to sit in.

What grants are available for school LED lighting?

Schools can access grants to upgrade to energy-efficient LED lighting from federal, state, and local programs and utility companies. Sources include the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) and utility rebate programs, plus resources through the EPA's Energy Star program. Confirm current availability and eligibility with a grant specialist or advisor. Additional resources: University Lighting, LED Lighting and Test-Taking, 9 Tips for School Lighting, and Classroom Lighting Applications.