LED Lighting Trends _ LED Panels

   LED panels are the coolest new fixture to hit the market. This is an alternative to your basic office fixture (Troffer), they are a slim flat panel that provides a very nice ambient glow, opposed to a direct light that is present in fluorescent fixtures and some LED troffers.
There are two types of panels, Edge-lit and Back-lit. The majority of panels out there are Edge-lit, meaning that the LED's are mounted along the outside edge of the panel, directing light in a horizontal line, and reflects it through a diffuser. The Back-lit panel mounts the LED's on the top of the fixture, directs the light down in a vertical line, and through a diffuser.
Either type of panel gives the mellow indirect light, that everyone loves. Although there are some downfalls to the Edge-lit panel. Over time as the LED's ware in, you can start to see dark spots in the center of the panel, this is due to the LED's mounted on the side of the fixture. The Edge-lit are also less efficient in lumens per watt then the Back-lit, simply due to the fact that lumens are lost anytime they are reflected.
While deciding on which LED fixture to chose, never overlook the most important aspect, and that is color temperature. Color temperature is measured in Kelvins and usually will fall in between 3000K - 4000K for commercial office space. It is a personal preference, and should always be discussed with your lighting contractor.