Lighting for Healthcare - Thorn

Green matters
For every kWh of energy 0.42 kg of CO 2
is
emitted and added to the ‘greenhouse’ gases in
the atmosphere, increasing global warming
GREEN MATTERS
Sustainability
Artificial lighting represents 19% of the electrical energy consumed
worldwide.
We have all witnessed cities alive with light from the air at night.
We are all guilty of leaving lights burning unnecessarily at home or
at work. We enjoy extravagantly lit shops and stores and mile after
mile of perfectly lit, sometimes empty motorway stretching into the
distance. This is unsustainable!
Thorn have made a commitment to sustainability, to optimise the
use of energy with technically innovative and intelligently controlled
luminaires.
The long term aim of sustainability is to conserve our eco-system
and the human habitat for the next generations. However, there
must be a balance between energy saving and human need, with
particular regard to our health, well-being and safety.
The challenges of globalisation and its resulting social issues
must be addressed in an effort to create international equal
opportunities, and a more equitable share of the earth’s finite
resources. Thorn has a vision to be among the world’s leading
brands in demonstrating progress toward sustainability. We aim to
do this by reducing our environmental footprint through innovative
product design and manufacturing, minimising resource and energy
use. We will continue to apply these products and ideas in well
conceived intelligent lighting solutions.
Daylight and lighting controls
Daylight, an infinite resource can be used in partnership with
artificial lighting controls to conserve energy and hence add to an
installations sustainability.
Using daylight
The use of natural light in any building connects us to the outside,
to the weather conditions, a view to the world beyond and helps
create a sense of the passing of time. This is particularly relevant to
patients in hospital and residents in a care home. A connection to
the outside, from a relatively unchanging environment inside, helps
relieve the feelings of isolation and is a boost to morale and an aid
to recovery.
Our developing knowledge on the impact of light on circadian
rhythms and health disorders such as seasonal affective disorder
(SAD) provides important input when architects and planners are
designing buildings. Daylight, whether from windows or atria,
produces a variety of benefits and lighting effects, different to
those provided by artificial lighting. Additionally the correct use
of natural light has the added benefit of helping to reduce energy
consumption and associated costs.
© Richard Seymor
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