Experiments Show Color-Enriched White Light Can Affect Whether a Room Feels Hot or Cold

Experiments by Penn State University researchers have shown that enriched white light, which includes invisible blue and red wavelengths, can directly affect a person’s perception of indoor temperature, making a warm room feel more than one degree Fahrenheit cooler. The study involved participants exposed to blue-enriched or red-enriched white light, which appeared identical to normal white light. The results indicated that the color-enrichment had a subtle but measurable effect on thermal perception, even though the participants could not perceive the difference. The team plans to explore the effects in different environments and populations in future studies.

• "The study was conducted in a controlled indoor environment simulating a typical office cubicle."
• "Participants were aged 18 to 35 and tested under varying air temperatures."
• "The researchers monitored participants’ thermal sensation and behavior throughout the experiments."

The findings suggest that subtle color-enrichment in white light can influence how people perceive temperature, potentially leading to energy savings in buildings. The research builds on previous studies showing that colored lighting can affect perceived temperature, but the practicality of using colored lighting in most working spaces limits its application. The Penn State team is interested in exploring how color-enriched white light could be used in real-world buildings to improve comfort and reduce energy use. The study was published in *Energy and Buildings* and is part of a broader effort to understand the impact of lighting on human behavior and environmental conditions.

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