3 Different Types of Panel Lighting – Which is Right For You

Panel light fixtures are ideal for office environments as they are cost-effective and durable lighting solutions. Not all lighting panels, however, are made equal. In this blog post, we compare fluorescent louvre, edge-lit and backlit panels, to help you make your lighting decision.

Fluorescent louvre

Fluorescent louvre is one of the most traditional lighting styles you will see in offices today. Panels with built-in louvres are used in offices to add accent lighting to the workplace and are often installed due to their industrial look. With accent lighting, however, it is easy to create an undesirable cave-like lighting effect, as some areas of the workplace are not as evenly or well lit as others. For this reason, fluorescent louvre panels have become quite outdated.

Edge-lit panels

In edge-lit lighting panels, as the name suggests, lighting is predominately focused at the edges of a panel and bounced through a diffuser. Due to the uneven dispersal of lighting, edge-lit panels can lack brightness in some areas and provide uneven lighting.

Backlit

Backlit panels provide the most even and consistent lighting finish as light is distributed evenly within the panel. Backlighting capitalises on projecting light through less material, meaning it is not only brighter but often has lower operational costs than both fluorescent louvre and edge-lit panels. Compared with edge-lit models, back-lit panels boast the same power consumption whilst delivering a higher lumen output, making it more energy efficient. Back-lit panels are also predominantly created with LED lighting, rather than fluorescent. Compared to traditional lighting fixtures such as fluorescent, LED lighting is more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.

Additional benefits of backlit panels:

Soft light distribution

Soft, even light distribution is gentler on the eyes of employees in your workplace. This lighting is ideal for employees who may suffer from migraines under fluorescent lighting.

Aesthetic

Backlit panels are sleek and modern, as they give off light uninterrupted and have no unaesthetic metal beams or plastic fixtures compromising the elegant look of the panels.

Anti-glare

Most backlit panels are complete with anti-glare technology and often attain a UGR<19 rating which makes them ideal for commercial office buildings or buildings with lots of computer screens, for example schools and colleges. Glare can be very distracting for employees and can make completing work on computer or tablet screens very difficult.

Reduced light loss

The life of the LED chip in back-lit panels tends to be more prolonged compared with other panel variants, due to the more superior heat dissipation which over a period of time can damage the chip. In edge-lit panels, the initial illuminance hits the back of the diffuser which over time creates loss of lumen output and uniformity of light with dark areas appearing on the panel.

Which panel is right for me?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to which lighting panel is right for your application, it depends on your unique needs and preferences. If, however, you are looking for a cost-effective, aesthetic lighting option, backlit LED panels will most likely be most suitable for you.

We have recently launched a slim, high performance, maintenance free, TPa LED panel. Find out more about our brand new Pace Panel, which is suitable for installation in offices, educational buildings, retail and healthcare premises.

For more information about backlit panels, or any other style of lighting, please get in touch with our expert team today.