The development of energy efficient near infrared enhanced sources and the growing consumer demand for healthier lighting solutions has created the need for lighting, displays, and architectural best practices and standards that support restoring the 90% of the solar spectrum to our indoor spaces.
Extensive peer reviewed evidence supports that hormone, immune, and neurological processes in the body and all lifeforms use the near infrared to maintain balance throughout the day and night. The elimination of near infrared from our indoor spaces via visible-only emitters (LED, OLED, CFL) strongly correlates with a host of modern society maladies and a number of mechanistic pathways have been identified beyond just circadian. At all exposure levels (direct sunlight to starlight) an excess of near infrared was provided to the body for millions of years. That is no longer the case. The body has been shown to have developed a wide range of bio-optical mechanisms that collect and localize near infrared in our most sensitive tissues (gray matter, fetus, veins, and retina). In particular there is growing evidence that chronic exposure to visible-only emitters is negatively impacting stress hormone levels especially in children.
The intent of this task force is to bring together a multi-discipline team of architects, doctors, lighting designers, manufacturers, and researchers to provide fact based recommendations to independent third party standards groups. The goals are to support the body’s natural defenses and provide practical solutions to restore at least minimum levels of near infrared back into our indoor spaces..
Please send inquiries and interest in volunteering for this task force to: [email protected].