The path from LED upgrade proposal to design plan to installation isn’t always a straight line. Product availability, customer changes, and the realities of each location can throw a wrench in even the best-laid installation plans.

For LED companies, having options can smooth out bumps that can derail an installation timeline. That’s what makes fixtures with selectable correlated color temperature (CCT) such a lifesaver.

In this post, we’ll talk about why light temperature is so important and dive into the advantages selectable CCT LED lights offer to distributors and contractors, as well as how they can streamline the installation process to help LED companies avoid costly delays.

CCT and Temperature Ranges

Correlated color temperature, or CCT, describes the appearance or tint of a particular light, ranging from warm to cool. CCT is measured in degrees Kelvin on a scale from 1000 to 10000. The warmer a light is, the lower its temperature will be. A cooler temperature will have a higher value.

Here’s a rough guide to how each temperature range should be used:

• Warm White in the 2000-2700 CCT range is ideal for dining rooms, restaurants, or commercial ambient lighting.
• Neutral white in the 3000-3500 CCT range is a good choice for offices and workshops, and its inviting tone is preferred in many living areas. Task lighting normally falls within this range.
• Cool White in the 4000-4100 CCT range can help people stay alert and is well-suited for work environments, kitchens, and restroom, and is commonly used for accent lighting.
• Bright White in the 4500-5000 CCT range is similar to daylight and may be used for task lighting, display areas, security lighting, or garages.
• Daylight white in the 5500-6500 CCT range is preferred for environments where you need to focus on details, like kitchens and garages.

Benefits of Selectable Color Temperature LEDs for Distributors

Let’s face it, there is only so much available shelf space in a distributor’s warehouse, and sometimes tough choices have to be made on what to keep stocked.

Imagine having to keep an inventory of an LED fixture in multiple SKUs, just in case you need them. That’s a lot of occupied shelf space — and that means less room available for a wider variety of LED products, including new, innovative products customers are clamoring to try.

No one has a crystal ball, so distributors can’t know in advance which SKUs will be needed for upcoming customer LED projects or in what quantity. A selectable color temperature LED fixture sets distributors up to be able to outfit contractors without making guesses on future needs — guesses that can leave them sitting on inventory that doesn’t move.

Benefits of Selectable Color Temperature LEDs for Contractors

When a contractor is kitting out material for a project and loading equipment on a truck, they’re operating off the specs and the client’s requests.

Let’s say the client wants 5000K initially, then decides it’s not the right choice once they see the light in place. The contractors will have to reorder a different CCT, pay more shipping costs, go through the return material authorization (RMA) process, pull the correct fixtures, swap out the wrong fixtures for the new ones, etc. It’s a huge waste of time that can delay project timelines and cut into profitability.

With color temperature selection, that frustration is eliminated. All the contractors have to do is go into the space and flip the switch to a different CCT. Depending on the number of fixtures, this can still be a big job, but it’s much less of a hassle than having to replace the fixture altogether.

The bottom line: An installation that has fixture uniformity — but allows for color temperature selection by area — gives the install team the flexibility to adjust to conditions without slowing down the process … or having to adjust to a new fixture every trip up the ladder.

Benefits of Selectable Color Temperature LEDs for Customers

You can recommend the best LED technology, but if a client won’t buy it, the project is over before it’s begun. Luckily, selectable color temperature LEDs solve problems your business customers are dealing with right now.

Hybrid work schedules, shared workspaces, and smaller footprints mean businesses need the flexibility to adjust wattage or color temperature after fixtures are installed. Even businesses that haven’t undergone huge changes will still agree that different areas in their space can benefit from different lighting at different times:

• Warm light can make a reception area feel more welcoming and comfortable.
• Cooler light is necessary for concentration and would be ideal in a school setting.
• Dim, cool light is good for seeing presentations in a conference room while still being able to take notes.

In one instance, a project in a hospital found that the 4000 CCT that worked for the rest of the facility to ensure the high levels of visibility and hygiene needed wasn’t bright enough for the surgical suite. That area required 5000 CCT. In that project, because the settings were selectable, one fixture could be used throughout the entire facility.

Plus, it’s simply better for productivity:

• Dimmer light may not be adequate for focused task work like assembling parts or reading spreadsheets. It may cause eyestrain and headaches because the eyes must work harder to see. This can also cause drowsiness and lack of focus, especially when an afternoon energy dip kicks in.
• On the other hand, lighting that’s too bright can cause eyestrain and has been known to trigger migraine headaches. It can also interfere with employees’ circadian rhythm, which regulates sleep. Well-rested employees tend to be more productive.

The key is to look at how the lighting benefits the people using it. Not only should the lighting be designed for the work being done, but it should also not detract from the employee’s health. (Mark Halper at LEDs Magazine wrote an excellent piece about how lighting affects our circadian rhythms — as it turns out, blue frequency light at night is really, really bad for us.)

This is what makes selectable wattage and color temperature fixtures such a slam-dunk for today’s more human-centered workspaces — adjustments can be made without extra expense. That’s a win-win for the end user.

The Benefits of Selectable Color Temperature LEDs at Installation

To appreciate the advantages of selectable CCT, it’s important to keep in mind how CCT differs from the Color Rendering Index, or CRI.

• CCT tells you the color of the light emitted by the fixture, from warm to cool. You can tell the CCT just by looking at the light source. Is it more yellow or blue?
• The CRI value, on the other hand, tells you about how the color of objects appears under the light source. CRI is rated 1-100, with sunlight being classified as having a CRI of 100, the most “natural” looking light source, and 1 being the furthest from natural coloring.

Not every activity in a space will require a CRI close to 100, but visibility in general, and the feel of the space, will be dictated by the color temperature. That’s why the type of facility, and the activities done within it, help determine the most appropriate CCT.

For example, a 5000K CCT setting is well-suited for high mounting heights and some commercial spaces where clear visibility is needed. Even warehouses and industrial facilities tend to request 5000K fixtures. That degree of light provides better illumination in a space with dark walls or dark floors, helpful for dirty or smoky shops.

But not every space is what you expect, which is why flexibility in color temperature selection is so important.

As helpful as guidelines are, the reality is that until the fixtures are installed in the space, it can be difficult to know if a CCT specified up front will actually deliver the quality of light needed for the customer’s use.

For example, when doing up the specs, you might have determined that 4000K was the right setting for how the space would be used.

But between your first visit and the installation date, the walls were painted a different color. Now the engineer, architect or owner has a problem with the quality of light from the SKUs you installed — and you need to start all over again with new fixtures.

With selectable CCT LEDs, you already have the flexibility you need for that scenario built into the fixture. Selectable CCT LED fixtures like Litetronics’ LED Volumetric Troffers, LED Linear High Bay, and LED Light Panel all come with three options for CCT degree, 3500K, 4000K, 5000K, and selectable wattage to boot!

Versatility That Delivers Visibility

With all the curveballs you can expect in a project, it’s nice to know you can have one fixture that can adapt to any situation.

The ability to select the CCT degree as needed during installation gives you the elbow room you need to accommodate a wide range of use case scenarios and keep your project on track.

When speaking to the customer about the choice of fixture, be sure to point out the benefits of having the flexibility of selectable color temperature LED lights. It will give them options to fine-tune the lighting in the facility at the time of installation without delays from needing all new fixtures.

Versatility and ease of installation are just a few of the many features of LED lights that contribute to ROI. Be sure to check out our e-book, How to Sell a Skeptical Customer on LED by Proving ROI, for more!