The Light Direction Blog: (by Frank Grobmeier)
In the post-pandemic era, predicting trends has become almost as accurate as predicting the weather or the winners of elections. But for those of us in the commercial lighting space, predicting trends is as important as a farmer being able to predict the weather. It has a major effect on the crop yield, or in our case, our sales revenue.
To predict lighting trends you must digest many different things happening in the world. You need to blend the trends in office space, retail buying habits, human resources, economics and, in some cases, even pop culture.
We’ve done the research, and like a competent chef, we’ve diced the results, put them into the pot, and simmered until ready.
Here are a few of the important trends in commercial lighting for 2023.
Creating a sense of home in office space:
One of the biggest trends in office lighting is creating a sense of personal space for employees that makes them feel at home by incorporating a sense of the employee’s personality and the corporate culture into the space.
For lighting, this means stepping away from exclusively using troffers and flat panels to light the space. The cubicle farms of the past are being torn down to create mixed-use space that leans into a work / life balance. This means more use of pendants, cove lighting, downlighting, and wall sconces. It means flush mount fixtures that have been traditionally used in residential and hospitality lighting are being used in office settings to provide a sense of home for employees in their office space. And we can’t forget task lighting, which is still very important but also experiencing a makeover. Many of the new task lighting fixtures are dynamic instead of static and allow control of both color temperature and intensity so the user can adjust them based on their mood or the time of day.
Technology moves the wheels of commerce:
The modern office and modern retail environment have been incorporating technology such as video screens, teleconferencing systems, building management systems, and daylighting for many years, but lighting to support these trends has lagged behind. In 2023 we’ll see lighting upgrades that reduce glare on screens, improve the customer and employee experience, and improve sustainability.
Sustainability never goes out of style:
One trend that has remained consistent for the past decade has been sustainability. Businesses want to save energy and resources. A decade ago, many businesses were early adopters and switched to LED lamps. Over the past few years those same businesses switched to new, more energy efficient LED fixtures. Many even started to integrate control systems and daylight harvesting to achieve greater savings. The next wave will be for controls and systems to move from the innovator / early adopter stages to the early majority stage of the adoption cycle. It may take several years for firms to be firmly entrenched in this phase, but we’re getting to that stage in 2023 and beyond.
Light and Health:
The pandemic encouraged a proliferation of UV devices being sold to promote improved air quality and to clean surfaces. While there has been a leveling out in sales of these devices as we move beyond the peak of Covid, we have seen a market trend in recognizing lighting as a component of healthy environments. The big trend in the coming years will be the use of certain lighting tech in the field of aging and geriatric care. Our population is living longer, and living independently longer. Recent studies have shown that lighting can provide increased safety for seniors and help improve sleep cycles, circadian rhythms, and overall health and well-being.
Retail stores and now distribution facilities:
A much debated topic in the retail market is the rapid growth of online shopping and the death of brick and mortar stores and shopping malls. If the mall isn’t dead, it’s certainly in seriously declining health, and perhaps even on life support. So how does this affect retail lighting companies? Smart businesses learn to adapt or die, and that’s exactly what many companies who used to specialize in retail lighting have done. Their new focus is on lighting and controls for large retail distribution hubs. The days of PAR lamps and track fixtures have given way to highbays and dock lighting. This trend to improve lighting and safety for warehouse facilities will continue into 2023 with a focus on sustainability and energy cost reduction.
To recap the trends mentioned:
- Office lighting to mimic home lighting
- Lighting to compliment tech trends
- Sustainability & controls
- Lighting for health and aging
- Distribution facilities in place of retail
Wishing a Happy, healthy and prosperous 2023 to all in our lighting community!