Modern office interior with large windows and bright lighting

Human-Centric Lighting

Designed for people, engineered for performance

Light doesn’t just help us see - it has a powerful effect on how we feel, perform, and behave.

Human-centric lighting (HCL) goes beyond illumination - it uses the visual, emotional, and biological power of light to enhance well-being, comfort, and productivity in indoor spaces.
As frameworks such as the WELL Building Standard, ISO standards, and the EU’s lighting‑related recommendations included in the new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) place growing emphasis on people‑focused lighting, HCL is becoming an essential part of modern building design.

With our HCL components, you can design lighting solutions that bring the benefits of natural light indoors, align with natural daily rhythms, and support the human circadian system - creating environments where people live healthier, work smarter, and feel better every day.

Lighting that enhances human well-being

People spend more than 90% of their time indoors, often under static artificial lighting that disrupts natural biological processes. Light is the body’s most powerful time cue—tuned indoor lighting helps align circadian rhythms, boosting daytime alertness and supporting better sleep at night.

Our human-centric lighting components bring the benefits of natural light indoors to create healthier, more productive environments—boosting focus and performance, supporting better sleep, reducing fatigue, and enhancing overall comfort and well-being.

Offices employees produce 18% more with HCL

Students score 14% higher on tests with HCL

Retailers sell 25% more with shopper-centric lighting in place

Extra light during the workday can improve sleep

Source: Lighting Europe - Healthy Buildings Infographic (PDF)

Human-centric lighting: an integrated approach

Visual dimension

Human-centric lighting (HCL) optimises visual comfort by adjusting brightness, colour temperature, and other light characteristics based on the space, activity, time of day, and individual needs, ensuring optimal lighting conditions for every scenario.

Emotional dimension

HCL integrates insights from scientific research and user expectations to create atmospheres that feel pleasant and supportive. Factors like contrast, colour, and controllability contribute to environments that enhance mood and emotional well-being.

Biological dimension

Light plays a crucial role in regulating the circadian rhythm through non-visual receptors in the eye. Circadian lighting mimics the natural progression of daylight, promoting alertness and productivity during the day and supporting restful sleep at night.

Personalised dimension

With intuitive controls, users can personalise their lighting experience - fostering a sense of comfort, ownership, and satisfaction in the spaces where they live, work, and relax.

Long-term impact

Thoughtfully designed HCL systems ensure long-term benefits by maintaining positive visual, emotional, and biological effects- supporting healthier, more productive indoor environments over time.

Stepping out of biological darkness

Group of people having a meeting with natural indoor lighting

On average, people spend more than 90% of their time indoors. Many students and office workers spend 36% of that time in a classroom or workplace. Patients in healthcare facilities and elderly people with limited mobility can spend 100% of their time indoors.

Group of people sitting at a shared desk using their devices

The light that people experience throughout the day affects the circadian cycle, through both visual and non-visual receptors in the eyes. People need different kinds and quantities of light throughout the day to sleep well and to feel well and perform at their best—specifically brighter, bluer light in the morning and dimmer light with less or no blue in it in the evenings.

Old black-and-white photo of Philips factory in Eindhoven

Signify has been at the forefront of circadian lighting since the discovery of the third non-visual photoreceptor that governs human biological rhythms in the late 1990s. With connected lighting and dimming controls, we can optimise the colour and intensity of light throughout the day to support the body's natural rhythms and circadian health.

Read our whitepaper to learn more

Two technologies, one purpose: human well-being

Our BioUp and VitaUp technologies empower OEMs to create lighting that supports health, enhances performance, and promotes well-being across every environment — from offices and schools to hospitals and homes.

Philips BioUp: Biological lighting that boosts energy and focus

BioUp uses cyan-enhanced LED technology to go beyond traditional tunable white systems. It supports the body's circadian rhythm at a biological level, helping people stay alert and energised during the day.

Whether in workplaces, classrooms, or healthcare facilities, BioUp lighting creates environments where people perform—and feel—their best.

Circadian rhythm support through cyan-optimized spectra

Dynamic daylight simulation and intensity control

Seamless integration with MasterConnect for manual or automated tuning

Learn more about BioUp

Person behind a laptop enjoying the natural light

Philips VitaUp: Light that nurtures from the inside

Philips VitaUp introduces controlled UVB technology that supports vitamin D production and other biological processes, helping create healthier indoor environments.

Our versatile VitaUp module can be seamlessly integrated into a luminaire or installed as a standalone unit in the ceiling. By safely bringing a key element of natural sunlight indoors, VitaUp enables a more holistic approach to well-being, recovery, and vitality.

Scientifically validated UVB benefits

Ideal for healthcare, senior living, and wellness-focused spaces

DALI and MasterConnect compatible

Integrated proximity sensor

Learn more about VitaUp

Welcome to the great indoors

Adding HCL capabilities to your luminaires is a powerful way to elevate your portfolio. Easily gain a competitive advantage by offering products that are proven to enhance the well‑being, productivity, and comfort of end‑users.

Our lighting components integrate smoothly into existing systems, helping you bring human‑centric lighting to market with minimal effort - reducing integration time, accelerating development cycles, and optimizing both initial and long‑term costs. Designed for scalability, our portfolio enables you to deliver lighting for well‑being without added complexity, across all key indoor applications.