LIGHTING & LIGHTING CONTROLS
Integrating HCL into building services for efficiency and sustainability
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Nick Gwilliam, lighting designer at Ansell Lighting examines Human Centric Lighting (HCL) in more depth, explaining how it can be successfully integrated into existing building services strategies whilst also driving energy efficiency and supporting sustainability goals
hen it comes to lighting, the prime focus of system design and specification for many years has been energy efficiency and sustainability. Ensuring
systems are cost effective and efficient to run, as well as being easy to maintain and manage, lighting objectives have been aligned with broader building services goals wherever possible.
But moving beyond that HCL is now also a key consideration for building services engineers when developing new lighting schemes. These are lighting systems designed around the needs of people, rather than just the space. Circadian rhythm is the body’s natural 24- hour cycle of sleep, wake, hunger, alertness, hormone release and body temperature. HCL uses variations in light intensity, colour temperature and timing to mimic natural daylight patterns and support circadian rhythm. This enhances human health, wellbeing and
performance and is especially important for building users who spend most of their waking day indoors, whether in offices, educational spaces, hospitality venues or healthcare settings. As a rule, when it comes to lighting, a cooler colour temperature of around 5000K-6000K is needed in the morning to energise and promote alertness amongst individuals, whilst a warmer hue of around 2700K-3000K is needed in the evening to prompt the body into feeling more relaxed and ready to sleep. Exposure to the wrong light at the wrong time of day can play havoc with the natural rhythm. Bearing this in mind, by setting lighting in the workplace to cooler, higher intensity levels in the morning and early afternoon, HCL can be used to enhance alertness, productivity and wellbeing, which is particularly important in spaces with limited natural daylight. Similarly, in schools, colleges and universities, this cool lighting can be used to support concentration and regulate energy levels throughout the day. It is important to remember though that lighting should follow a natural path and gradually transition to warmer tones (2700K-3000K) as the day progresses to support relaxation towards the end of the day. The reverse is true in the evening and in spaces of rest or relaxation. Here, too much blue light can result in poor sleep, which in turn can cause low mood and irritability. That is why HCL is particularly valuable in healthcare settings where warmer tones can be used to promote rest and enhance natural sleep and wake cycles for patients. In residential or hospitality settings, such as hotels, it can help visitors to maintain healthy sleep patterns and enhance overall guest comfort. The concept of HCL is relatively straightforward, as too is the process of creating and implementing such a system.
Smart and connected lighting systems, integrated building management systems and daylight harvesting technology can all be used to deliver effective HCL solutions. Smart lighting allows every single detail of a lighting system to be programmed to meet specific requirements. Factors such as colour, brightness, intensity and the combinations of lamps in use can be individually set according to the time of day and the desired outcome, helping to mimic natural daylight patterns. Daylight harvesting technology also offers a dynamic solution, causing lighting levels to automatically adjust according to the natural light that is available. At its core, daylight harvesting uses sensors positioned within a space to measure daylight levels in real time, These sensors communicate with the lighting control systems which then automatically dims or increases artificial lighting levels to maintain the desired illumination level. On a gloomy day the technology will ensure that indoor lighting levels are increased to provide consistent lighting levels, whilst on a sunny day it will automatically reduce artificial lighting levels removing the need for manual intervention. The type of system required will vary greatly depending on the setting but ultimately, successful implementation requires a solution tailored to the specific application rather than adopting a ‘one size fits all’ approach. HCL should be considered from the outset of any lighting project, at the planning and specification stage. This will ensure it aligns with wider mechanical and electrical (M&E) strategies, changing occupancy patterns and the intended use of the space. This will involve
14 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER MAY 2026
mapping lighting schedules in line with real user behaviours and daily rhythms and integrating these with automated control strategies that respond dynamically to the time of day, occupancy and available daylight. When selecting products and solutions
there are a number of key considerations to remember. First of all, you must specify luminaires that have tunable white output and can be adjusted in both intensity and colour temperature at different times of day. You should also ensure that the automated control systems selected are intuitive, flexible and can be easily managed and adapted. All solutions should integrate seamlessly with existing building management systems too, enabling real-time performance monitoring and ongoing optimisation to ensure both user wellbeing and energy efficiency objectives are consistently met.
HCL has the capability to transform the health of building users and how they feel and perform. By aligning artificial lighting scenes with natural circadian rhythms, building services engineers can create spaces that are not only more comfortable and productive, but also more responsive to the needs of occupants. Highly energy efficient, HCL also supports wider sustainability and net zero objectives and helps to ensure that buildings operate more intelligently, reducing energy waste while enhancing overall user experience. As expectations around buildings continue to evolve, those that successfully adopt HCL will be better positioned to deliver environments that truly support the people who use them, both now and in the future.
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