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Why melanopic light?

We've become the indoor generation. On average, we spend more than 90% of our time indoors, with 36% of that spent in the workplace. And if we spend too much time indoors, we don’t receive enough exposure to melanopic light, and we miss out on the beneficial effects it has on our wellbeing to help us:

See better

Feel better

Function better

How light lets us do more than see the world around us.

This is where melanopic lighting comes in. It is biological light that contributes to stimulating other biological functions / non-visual responses, including the creation of melatonin and cortisol, which drives our internal circadian rhythms and helps us function better.

4 ways to increase melanopic light levels:

1: Use more daylight

Daylight is a great source of melanopic light, but it often leads to expensive building design. Mitigating glare is a challenge. And depending on location, daylight may not always be optimum.

2: Use more light

Increasing average light levels using luminaires with higher lumen output or adding more luminaires are options, but they’ll increase your energy costs. And you’ll have more glare to deal with.

3: Use cooler CCTs

You could try tunable white lighting that follows natural daylight temperature cycles, creating cooler light at specific times of day. But not everyone likes light that’s cool enough to have a biological impact.

4: Use increased melanopic spectrum

Indoor melanopic lighting such as BioUp from Cooper Lighting Solutions includes a peak (the cyan part of the spectrum) that enhances our circadian rhythm without additional lights, higher lumen levels, and associated energy costs.

What is our melanopic lighting solution?

BioUp technology from Cooper Lighting Solutions enhances the LED spectrum with cyan light to increase the biological impact of the light to enhance our circadian rhythm which regulates our sleep/wake cycle, daytime engagement, and mood – all without distorting visual color impression.

How it works

We enhance the LED spectrum with cyan light that increases the melanopic-DER or melanopic-EDI of our lighting to achieve the desired level of melanopic light. 

cyan light

Melanopic DER

The melanopic daylight efficacy ratio measures how an artificial light source affects biology compared to daylight. A ratio of 1 indicates equivalence to daylight. Generally, artificial lighting falls below 1. Melanopic lighting has a 42% higher ratio than standard LEDs, without altering visual perception or light output. This graph shows the peak in the cyan wavelength, aligned with biological active light.

Static Spectrally Enanced LED

Static spectrally enhanced LED

The static option, which provides enhanced biological lighting performance, is ideal for applications with mostly daytime usage by workers and/or visitors, such as offices, institutional, and public buildings. It’s a cost-efficient and simple way to enjoy the benefits melanopic lighting.

biological lighting

Dynamic tunable white + spectrally enhanced LED

The dynamic option is an advanced solution adapted to spaces with daytime and nighttime usage, such as hospitals, schools, and airports. Combined with our WaveLinx intelligent digital lighting solution, the melanopic portion of the light is adjusted throughout the day.

Who benefits from melanopic lighting?

More application lighting designs now include spectrally enhanced lighting, thanks to the melanopic lighting LEDs, including healthcare, office, and education applications. See the Healthcare patient room application example:

Featured products: Fail-Safe 2x4 APR ArcMED and Portfolio 4" & 6" Recessed Downlights

Morning

Morning lighting should reflect the sunrise lighting spectrum, with primary light colors in the red at a moderate intensity.

Daytime

Daytime lighting should be primary in the cooler colors, including a peak in the range, to maximze melanopic lighting at a relatively high intensity.

Nighttime

Nightlight should reflect the sunset lighting spectrum, with primarily light colors in the red family, at a low intensity. Once people are sleeping, the light shouldn't be higher than 1 lux, which is equivalent to the light of a candle.

BioUp related industry's references

Illuminating Engineering Society

IES TM-18-18

Illuminating Engineering Society

ANSI/IES RP-46-23

International WELL Building Institute

Circadian Lighting Design

Product Offering

Troffers & Panels

Linear

Downlights & Cylinders

BioUp Resources

BioUp Brochure

BioUp White Paper

Melanopic Ratio Calculator with BioUp Performance Data