As humans spend more time indoors, there’s a need for human-centric lighting (HCL)—that’s lighting that support, rather than disrupts, our circadian rhythms, and that accommodates a variety of indoor activities. HCL is engineered to utilize to not just improve indoor lighting quality, but also to enhance ideal levels of melatonin production in people exposed to the lighting.

Recently, Samsung Electronics was awarded the world’s first certification for human-centric lighting package for its LM302N line from globally recognized certification body Verband der Elektrotechnik (VDE). This certification establishes Samsung’s human-centric lighting solution—which has been in mass production since March of 2020—as a superior product line in the rapidly growing HCL market. By using the LM302N packages, luminaires can shorten the testing period and reduce the cost for VDE’s human-centric lighting certification. 

When evaluating HCL packages, VDE considers the following attributes: 

(1) light source power efficiency

(2) Color Rendering Index 

(3) the package’s Melanopic Daylight Efficiency Ratio (MDER) 

MDER measures how much a light source modulates melatonin production, under the same illuminance of a standard D65 light source. A higher MDER indicates that humans exposed to the HCL package have a higher melatonin inhibition level (leading to higher levels of alertness). The lower the MDER, the lower the level of melatonin inhibition (resulting in higher melatonin secretion and hopefully, more restful sleep).

Samsung’s LM302N line uses spectrum design technology that concentrates on suppressing or enhancing light in the blue-green wavelength band. These wavelengths have the greatest effect on melatonin secretion. 

LM302N DAY can help boost mental and physical performance by suppressing melatonin secretion through increased levels of blue and green light, while LM302N NITE minimizes melatonin inhibitors to enhance rest and relaxation by reducing that part of the visible light spectrum.

Both the DAY and NITE packages provide MDER levels that aid in time-appropriate melatonin production, even at varying levels of luminosity—a higher luminosity in the LM302N NITE won’t interfere with melatonin production the way a conventional LED package would.

The LM302N DAY can suppress the body’s melatonin levels by more than 18% (compared to conventional LED lighting), providing a greater sense of alertness¹. The DAY package comes in color temperatures ranging from 3000K to 6500K, making it perfect for schools, offices, libraries and industrial sites.

The LM302N NITE can provide a proper level of brightness without hindering the release of melatonin: approximately 5% more melatonin than conventional LED packages. The LM302N NITE is offered in color temperatures between 1800K and 4000K.

Samsung is honored to have produced the first human-centered lighting package to receive VDE certification.

¹ ^{_{Study conducted at Kookmin University in Korea}}