A technical report led by Naomi Miller, pictured, and published by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) provides a first glimpse at results from Q&I's feasibility study of programmable, tunable LED lighting in a California nursing home.

This study involves a Q&I partnership with a lighting engineer, interior architect, and leaders from a nursing center with existing programmable, tunable LED lighting. Nursing center leaders were interested in evaluating the impact of the lighting and willing to allow their long-term care corridors to be randomized to settings that mimicked the facility’s former fluorescent lighting (static lighting) or that were programed to change in spectrum and intensity over the course of the day and night (tuned lighting). 

While the primary focus of this study was to establish feasibility and best-practice protocols for implementing tuned lighting in the nursing centers, results published in the report suggest that tuned lighting had a positive effect on residents’ sleep. The report, written by Ms. Miller of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a DOE contractor, also provides technical details regarding lighting measurement and levels.