Home Office Lighting:

New technologies including the internet have led to more and more people working out of their homes. This increased emphasis on home offices and more time being spent in home offices, the lighting becomes a more important element of the space. Workplace and home office lighting is a key component of an office environment because it directly effects a person's comfort and performance. Computers are playing a huge role/ have become the major work device and viewing a computer screen can lead to discomfort, fatigue, eye strain, and headaches.

People working out of their homes are becoming more and more common. Working areas require quality general lighting and effective task lighting for reading, writing and computer work.

General Lighting:

Fluorescent lighting sources make sense within a commercial and home office setting. They operate efficiently and economically, last a long time, and add very little heat to the room.

Advantages of Fluorescent Lighting:

• Light is diffuse and shadow free.
• Long life of lamp.
• Energy efficient - high amount of light per watt.
• Emits very little heat.

Task Lighting:

• Task lighting should be supplied at each work station.
• Under cabinet lighting is a good way to illuminate the shelf or desk area. 
• Portable table lamps are another way to get specific light on a surface area. 

Lighting for Computers:

Lighting for extended computer use should be less than the amount of light for general office work. Computer monitors provide there own illumination and do not need large amounts of light for good visibility. Having too much light or light in the wrong places are two common problems. A computer monitor will reflect glare from bright lighting fixtures. A good plan is to decrease general lighting levels and use task lighting for paper tasks on the same desk.

Consider Natural Lighting:

It is important that you have the ability to adjust your interior light levels. 

Two good ways to do this are:

1. Use shading products to control the sun light coming through the windows.
2. Light dimmers allow you to control lighting levels for any time of day or activity. On bright days the lights can be dimmed to a low level to lessen the contrast between with the outside light. On cloudy days the light levels can be increased to a desired level. 

To Avoid Glare:

• Locate ceiling fixtures to the side or behind work area.
• Use parabolic louvers on surface mounted fluorescents.
• Use indirect fluorescent lighting fixtures.
• Do not have an exposed window directly in front or behind the computer screen.

Tips for Reducing Eyestrain:

1. Remember to blink. Blinking helps lubricate the eyes and reduces dryness. 
2. Every 20 minutes look away from the computer screen for 20 seconds or perform an activity that is less visually demanding.
3. Close your eyes for a few seconds every so often to give them a rest.

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