Light + Building, Frankfurt, Germany – Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), the global leader in lighting, and Saint-Gobain Ecophon, a global supplier of acoustic systems will launch a transformational new version of their jointly developed light-emitting acoustic ceiling. The new SoundLight comfort ceiling tunable white enables dynamic lighting, supporting the human body’s natural biorhythm to aid wellbeing and productivity. It is based upon the known benefits of SoundLight comfort ceiling launched in 2012.

New research by the Stress Research Institute at Stockholm University highlights the positive effect of SoundLight comfort ceiling on employee comfort and well-being in the workplace:

9 out of 10 office workers stated that SoundLight comfort ceiling contributes to an environment in which they like to work
The majority of those involved in the research remarked that the ceiling created a more stimulating, lively and inspiring atmosphere
Office workers that tested the SoundLight comfort ceiling experienced greater visual comfort

SoundLight comfort ceiling tunable white incorporates programmable lighting controls that change the brightness and warmth of office lighting throughout the working day. This supports employees’ energy levels, which can be diminished by spending too much time indoors. SoundLight comfort ceiling tunable white helps to reverse this by simulating ‘daylight inside’ and helping to maintain the body’s natural connection to the sun.

“Innovation at Philips is based on our understanding of how light can be used to positively impact people – we know it can soothe, energize and relax us, aiding productivity and concentration,” said Menno Kleingeld from Philips Lighting. ‘’We applied this knowledge to develop SoundLight comfort ceiling tunable white in partnership with Saint-Gobain Ecophon, to help create comfortable and inspiring workplaces.’’

“Saint-Gobain Ecophon and Philips jointly developed and released SoundLight comfort ceiling in 2012. Now with dynamic lighting we take the next step towards an optimum working environment when it comes to light and sound absorption, enabling people to perform at their best and keep the balance in their biorhythm.” said Gert-Jan van Doormalen, President of the Ecophon Group.

So Philips is no giving workers smartphone control of the office lighting with groundbreaking connected lighting system.

Here are the main features:

• Template office of the future for greater comfort, productivity and building efficiency
• Workers able to personalize lighting and temperature via smartphone app
• Connected LED lighting powered over Ethernet provides anonymous occupancy and climate data for more efficient facility management

The groundbreaking system uses Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) to connect office lighting fixtures to a building’s IT network. The lighting system acts as an information pathway, enabling workers to control and access other building services via their smartphones, allowing them to enjoy greater visual comfort and productivity.

The office lighting fixtures, when outfitted with sensors, are able to capture anonymous data on room occupancy, temperature and humidity. They connect to the IT network and interface with other building systems such as heating, ventilation and IT services. This benefits the facility manager who has a single system showing real time and historical views of building utilization. For example, he or she could see that on a Friday afternoon a particular floor is not used and adjust the temperature, lighting, and cleaning roster accordingly. Having an integrated view of a building’s occupancy patterns and energy usage provides for more informed decision making with unprecedented levels of energy and operational efficiency.