Studies show that natural daylighting increases worker productivity and saves businesses money. It’s not enough for your office space to have good lighting – it needs to be daylighting. This is because daylighting has benefits for workers that other types of lighting cannot provide.
If you’re a manager, company CEO, or a business owner of some type, it’s important to know the benefits of natural daylighting, so you can incorporate this important feature in your office or company design. Here’s what you need to know.
How Natural Daylighting Impacts Office Productivity and Company Savings
There are many examples of companies that have renovated their office space and benefited from the change.
- The Reno Post Office saw productivity gains up to $500,000 annually after a building office renovation with improved access to daylight.
- Lockheed Martin moved its offices to a daylit building and calculated that the move saved their company millions. In addition, the company experienced reduced absenteeism and saved half a million dollars on energy bills annually.
Why Were These Renovations So Effective?
Windows are valued by office workers. In fact, windows are so highly valued that some hinge their job satisfaction on their exposure to natural daylight. In one survey, 35% of office workers reported that their biggest problem with their workspace was a lack of windows.
Office workers who don’t have the ability to see outside during the day complain that they have no view, have no knowledge of the weather, experience feelings of depression and isolation at work, feel tense, claustrophobic, and cooped up.
A separate study shows that employees in windowless buildings have lower job satisfaction and less overall happiness.
Research shows that employees value a window of any size, but prefer the window close to their workspace. Employees who have a window close to their workspace report that windows help them relax, help them feel more alert, motivate them to get work done and put them in a better mood.
It’s Important to Utilize Daylighting Properly
It’s not just enough to install windows in your workplace: the windows must be well-designed, well-placed and cannot interfere with an employee’s ability to get work done. Improper daylighting in the workplace can reduce productivity, increase employee dissatisfaction and also raise levels of absenteeism.
Heat and glare from poorly placed windows can contribute to or create an unpleasant work environment. In fact, employees in offices with too much daylighting must use tactics to escape the light.
For example, at the hottest or brightest points of the day, employees may be forced to take a break, walk around, find coworkers to complain to, change clothing and get a drink. As the day wears on, these employees may experience reduced motivation and fatigue.
It’s Important to Do Daylighting Right
When you’re designing a commercial building for office workers, it’s vitally important to choose daylighting sources wisely. Skylights allow light into the building without putting the sun at eye level, so employees in the area enjoy the presence of daylight coupled with reduced glare.
Why VTECH Skylights Are the Perfect Commercial Daylighting Option
VTECH skylights are an excellent commercial daylighting option. Our skylights are energy-efficient, high-quality, well-made, and leakproof. VTECH’s energy-efficient skylights are made from Cardinal LoĒ³-366 glass, which reduces UV rays and prevents energy leaks that could contribute to an overall less comfortable temperature indoors.
VTECH’s no-leak skylights have a solid-state design, which means the glass and frame are chemically fused together into one large piece. They never leak. You can see examples of how our skylights perform on our certifications page, where we demonstrate they’re almost impossible to break, they can withstand years of standing water and they’re nearly impervious to the elements. If you’re a commercial property owner, you can improve the value of your property by installing VTECH skylights. To learn more about installing VTECH skylights, contact us today.