December 19, 2017 By definition, hospitality is “the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests in a warm, friendly, generous way.” And many factors, including lighting designs, go into creating the right mood and environment for an establishment to make guests feel welcome. While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to hospitality lighting design, a few key factors must be considered.
5 Key Considerations for Hospitality Lighting Design
Whether for a hotel, casino or restaurant, factor in the following five hospitality lighting design considerations to achieve optimal results for any project.
1. Lighting Codes and Standards
Most states utilize either ASHRAE Standard or International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Once the code is identified, it is critical that the entire project team uses the same one to eliminate the need for redesign or schedule delays. In addition, local building codes will detail whether or not emergency lighting should be installed. These codes dictate the path illumination inside or outside of a building often powered by either a battery pack, generator or transfer switch with an inverter.
2. Lighting Levels
The lighting levels required for the type of space will differ – for example, a casino within a hotel will require specific criteria based on ceiling height, glare control and video surveillance camera locations versus a restaurant that is focused more on customer comfort versus a ballroom that requires flexibility for a wide variety of events.
3. Efficiency and Lifecycle Costs
Lighting accounts for more than 10% of the total electricity consumed in a corporate building as reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Although the hospitality sector consumes a large amount of energy to meet the needs of guests, they have a unique opportunity to enhance energy-efficiencies and improve building performance by regulating lighting systems. A modernized hospitality lighting design can be customizable and accommodate building space changes and schedules. While satisfying building codes and complying with green building efforts, it also has the ability to integrate with other building systems to achieve even greater efficiency.
Hospitality lighting lifecycle costs typically include material costs required to replace lamps, drivers, ballasts, etc as well as the labor costs to replace those items. It’s worth considering a higher upfront cost for efficient lighting fixtures or smart controls for a better long-term ROI.
4. Sustainability
Lighting should be environmentally responsible as well as energy efficient while providing high-quality performance and an aesthetically pleasing design. Green hotel lighting solutions, like LED lighting, are gaining momentum for many reasons, but among the top reason is energy efficiency. Despite the fact that initial costs of LED bulbs are higher than the cost of incandescent or halogen lightings, longer term savings pays off.
5. Maintenance
For every project, the maintenance of a hospitality lighting design should be considered. LED systems that have a modular design, for example, will allow for an easier serviceability because components of the system can be upgraded as needed rather than replacing the entire system.
KMB Hospitality Lighting Design and Engineering
With expertise in lighting design for a wide variety of hospitality applications ranging from hotels to airports, KMB understands the unique challenges that each facility faces. It is our mission to help clients by providing a comprehensive lighting and energy engineering strategy that meets the client goals and requirements for their space.
Contact the KMB energy engineering experts to find out how we can help your business create a reliable and resilient solution.