The influence of ambient light on human visual performance is linked to circadian rhythms. The biological impact of light over the course of the day is in turn linked to our internal body clock. This controls our performance through the influence of metabolic processes. Melatonin secretion is linked both to circadian and seasonal rhythms. Insufficient light during particular seasons can result in so-called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), sometimes known as "winter depression".

Workplace design and the use of natural light are reliant on the relationship between the window façade and the living area. Your desk should be positioned sideways next to the window. Particularly in winter, a daylight lamp is an excellent way to meet the requirements for optimal office lighting. The WORKLIGHT from SLV meets all these requirements and offers a daylight controller with motion sensor.

Spatial planning for an office area for several people is based on the European standard DIN EN 12464-1. So it also makes sense for you to consult these specifications when designing your working from home environment. The following parameters have a significant impact on workplace design:

• Office concept: style of office, type of organisation, office size
• Room design: allocation of functional areas, workplace setup
• Workplace concept: functionality, ergonomics, lighting
• Planning basis: work task, equipment, spatial conditions

For the basic lighting of a home office workplace, the artificially used light sources should take into account and support the respective seasonal and time-of-day-dependent weather conditions. This can be achieved with different luminaires. Flat LED luminaires provide uniform, wide-area room illumination. Furthermore, recessed luminaires in a suitable number can achieve a similar effect.

Uniform workplace illumination can be achieved using flat LED lights, LED strips and ceiling or pendant lights. The table, floor and wall lights in the KARPO family are particularly suitable and come in various designs for use in different working environments. Optimal office lighting operates with a colour temperature of 3,000 K and is ideal for a domestic work place.

Different kinds of desk lights are the ideal way to provide optimal illumination for your desk. Various designs like the MECANICA PLUS desk light ensure your individual requirements are met. When choosing a product, you should specifically check that the brightness and ergonomics offered by the desk light are suitable for your purposes. Key factors to consider here include the light's colour rendering and luminous efficacy. In particular:

• halogen lamps between 7 and 60 watts have a luminous efficacy between 15 and 27 lumen/watt

• fluorescent lamps between 5 and 15 watts have a luminous efficacy between 40 and 65 lumen/watt

• LED lamps between 3 and 20 watts have a luminous efficacy from 27 to over 150 lumen/watt

LED lights with adjustable light colours are excellent for illuminating a desk working area. In addition, your lights should be flexible and able to swivel. The WORKLIGHT table light is easy to clamp to a table edge, which makes it ideal for desks that are height adjustable.

The importance of light colour for our physical well-being is clear from light therapy, where colours are used for therapeutic purposes. This treatment takes advantage of different light wave lengths to stimulate positive effects on the human psyche. A light's colours are determined by the colour temperature, which is specified in Kelvin. The following effects can be created using different light colours:

The colour temperatures from different light sources are generally subdivided into three groups, which can be achieved with various kinds of lights.

1st category: light below 3,300 K is described as warm white and evokes the light at sunset. This creates a pleasant, calm atmosphere.

2nd category: light between 3,330 and 5,000 K is neutral white. This is artificial in character and has no particular influence on human mood or performance.

3rd category: light over 5,000 K is cold white or daylight white and has an invigorating and stimulating effect.

When the sun appears on the horizon early in the morning, the light colour has a different effect than in the middle of the day. While warm colours between 2000 - 3000 Kelvin still predominate in the morning, these change to colder daylight (5000 - 6000 Kelvin). In the evening, at dusk, we approach warmer light colours again, up to 3500 Kelvin. This should also be taken into account in home office lighting.

Incidentally, warm colours promote the sleep hormone melatonin: the lower the concentration of melatonin in the blood, the higher our performance. A desk lamp with different colour temperatures is therefore recommended for your home office work.