Incorporating Productivity Improvements Into Cost-Benefit Analyses of Lighting Features in the WELL Building Standard Version 2

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Summary

This thesis demonstrates that investing in WELL Building Standard v2 lighting features is financially justified, with implementation costs of ~$303,000 yielding projected annual productivity gains of over $1.1 million in a model office space. Lighting designers and facility managers can use this cost-benefit framework to make the business case for circadian-supportive, high-quality lighting upgrades beyond standard building practice.

Key Findings

Upgrading a model office to meet all WBSv2 lighting feature requirements would cost $303,133, but is projected to generate $1,146,222.78 per year in increased worker productivity — a ~3.8x annual return on investment.
7 out of 8 WBSv2 lighting features showed compelling evidence of productivity improvements sufficient to pay for themselves.
The model office automatically achieved 10 out of 14 available WBSv2 lighting points without modification, suggesting partial compliance is achievable at no additional cost in well-designed spaces.

Categories

Workplace Performance: Analyzes how WELL Building Standard v2 lighting features impact office worker cognitive function and productivity, with cost-benefit modeling.

Sleep & Circadian Health: WELL Building Standard lighting features incorporate circadian health principles that affect worker performance both at the office and at home.

The Science of Light: Applies lighting standards and specifications from WBSv2 through computer simulations and in-person measurements to evaluate real-world compliance and outcomes.