1. Pennsylvania Power & Light
performed a building upgrade
to use more daylight, and found
absenteeism rates dropped 25%,
productivity increased 13%, and
energy costs dropped 69%.3
Workers with exposure to
natural light during the workday
experience 46 more minutes of
sleep on average per night.7
A study showed that
workers had a 13%
increase in recall with
an increase in daylight
illumination levels from 1
to 20 footcandles.2
excessive sick days
high staff turnover
worker discontent
eye strain
poor work quality
A University of Nebraska
study found that poor
lighting in the workplace
can lead to excessive sick
days, worker discontent,
high staff turnover rates
and poor-quality work.
Natural light, however,
makes workers feel and
work better, prevents eye
strain, helps memory,
and boosts productivity.6
The California Energy
Commission determined
that the State of California
could save up to $7
million dollars in energy
costs yearly by installing
skylights and controls.4
concentration
short-term memory
well-being of staff
worker productivity
mood & energy level
Workplace Productivity
Energy Savings
Employee Well-Being
1
Wall Street Journal, October 19, 2004. 2
”Integrated Energy Systems: Productivity and Building Science” (October 2003) Report prepared for the California Energy Commission Public Interest Energy
Research Program,by the New Building Institute Inc. 3
Sustainable Development International Corp. website, www.smartoffice.com, 2002. 4
Heschong Mahone Group. “Windows and Offices: a Study
of Worker Performance and the Indoor Environment (Technical Report),” for the California Energy Commission, 2003, p. 108. 5
Natural Light Linked to Worker Health, (August 13, 2014) Industry
News, www.buildings.com. 6
Peter Kiewit Institute of Information Science, Technology and Engineering, University of Nebraska, Chicago Tribune (June 5, 2012). 6
Christensen, Jen (August 14, 2014)
“Another reason to want the corner office: It’s good for your health” CNN.
Daylighting is a Productivity Boost
Relying more on daylight not only saves
a company on energy costs for lighting
and cooling, but natural daylight also
reduces human resource expenses.
Studies find that natural daylight helps
boost employee productivity, leading to
a higher quality of life at work and home
compared to employees with no access
to natural light.5
Worker productivity increases with the
exposure of daylight. According to a 2003
study conducted by the California Energy
Commission; daylight was consistently
linked with higher levels of concentration
and better short-term memory.1
Reduce
Improve
25%
13%
$7M
13%
46