There are many variations of fluorescent light fixtures in office spaces, but all of them have one common goal. The goal: to light the workspace efficiently for optimal performance. The reason there isn’t one lighting solution for every office is simple. People have different opinions about lighting in the room, concerning output, color rendering and distribution.
There are two common styles of workspace lighting; prismatic and parabolic. The differences between the two are slight, but many argue that one yields better results more efficiently.
Prismatic Lenses
“Prismatic” refers to the pattern of prism-like shapes with triangular bases. The pattern is designed to disperse light into a spectrum and distribute a concentrated light source over a larger surface area. Prismatic plastic light lenses take the glare off of an otherwise bare bulb, but some say the light distribution is uneven compared to other lighting solutions.
Parabolic Louvers
“Parabolic” refers to likeness to a “parabola”, a conic section created from the intersection of a right circular conical surface. The design of an aluminum parabolic louver is important because of the unique way in which it distributes a concentrated light source. The solution for folks complaining about the output and uneven distribution of light in a prismatic fixture is a parabolic louver. These are commonly placed in recessed fluorescent troffers, and are popular for their ability to reduced the brightness and glare of bare bulbs. The “parabola” design helps to bring the light down from the source evenly.
It is difficult to say which lighting solution is better for your workspace without first determining the layout for the most optimal illumination. Recently in our offices, we installed a special type of inlay, designed to reduce glare and UV radiation from fluorescent tube lighting. The inlays have worked out great for us and for many of our customers who complained of headaches due to fluorescent lighting in their offices.
