What IES’s New Strategy Means for the Future of “Measured Light” – Our Perspective at LRS

IES has set its 2026–2028 strategy under the banner of lasting, scalable growth.

As a research studio obsessed with measuring what “good light” really is in real spaces, we see this as more than an internal roadmap for a society – it’s a clear signal for the whole ecosystem.

From LRS (Lighting Recipe Studio), here’s how we read it – and how we’re responding.

1️. From documents to devices: aligning with the IES language of light

At LRS, our work starts with a simple question:

If a standard defines “good light”, how do we see it at eye level with a meter in a real room?

That’s why, as IES doubles down on precise and trusted information, our direction is:

• Align our instruments and algorithms with IES / CIE / WELL terminology, not invent new ones
• Make sure In.Licht devices natively speak the same “technical language” that designers, standards bodies and certification schemes already use

Concretely, that means:

• Color quality: TM-30 metrics as a core reference
• Flicker: SVM, Pst LM and related indices, not vague “no flicker” claims
• Non-visual / circadian: CIE S 026-based metrics (e.g. melanopic EDI / EML) measured at eye level
• All wrapped into workflows that match how projects are actually designed, commissioned and verified

If IES’s job is to define what counts as good practice, our job is to make that measurable, repeatable and explainable on site.

2️. Field Evaluation System (FES): where strategy meets reality

Standards live in PDFs. People live in wards, classrooms, offices, homes and hotels.

Our Field Evaluation System (FES) is where those two worlds meet:

• We take IES / CIE / WELL concepts
• We measure real spaces with In.Licht Ultra / Pro / Well
• We translate the results into design feedback, health-relevant insight and business language

Typical questions we help answer:

• “This office meets code for illuminance – but is the daytime melanopic stimulus enough to support alertness?”
• “This hospital room is visually comfortable – but is the day–night contrast strong enough to support better sleep?”
• “This hotel room looks beautiful on photos – but does the evening spectrum really help guests wind down instead of staying wired?”

The more IES leans into data, education and tools, the more we see FES as a practical way to operationalize that strategy in real projects.

3️. Bridging tradition and transformation in design practice

We share IES’s belief that:

• Classic metrics remain essential – illuminance, uniformity, glare, color rendering are still the foundation.
• But they’re no longer the whole story.

At LRS, we deliberately design our methods to layer:

• Compliance
  Are we meeting IES / local code / client requirements?
• Health & experience
  Are we supporting circadian rhythms, mood, comfort and performance in a way that can be measured and improved?

Our goal isn’t to replace established standards with fashionable buzzwords.

It’s to anchor new human-centric and emotional metrics onto a solid technical base that regulators, engineers and clients can trust.

4️. Our commitment going forward

In light of IES’s new strategic direction, LRS is committed to:

• Continuously aligning In.Licht devices with internationally recognized metrics and methods
• Expanding our FES database to cover more building types, cultures and usage patterns, especially across Asia and emerging markets
• Sharing insights in ways that are useful not only to researchers, but also to designers, manufacturers, owners, operators and certifiers

If your work touches WELL, IES, CIE, healthy buildings, human-centric lighting or smart controls, we’d love to explore how measured light can support your projects, standards work or product roadmap.

Light for life needs more than good intentions – it needs good measurement.

Stop guessing light. Start measuring. 👉https://www.amazon.com/stores/InLicht/page/7CBB0389-3A9C-4352-885E-EA363083BBDA