The NLB believes that lighting effectiveness is the only factor to consider, because lighting cannot be truly effective unless it meets several criteria, including quality and its ability to provide the right amount of illumination without energy waste. While some aspects of low-quality lighting may be easy to see, others are not, especially so because one person performing a given function in a given location might find the lighting ideal, while another doing the same thing in the same location may find the lighting counterproductive. In fact, lighting quality evaluation is not a particularly easy task even for a highly qualified lighting professional. While, unquestionably, many high-quality products outperform similar components of lesser quality, the effectiveness of the system depends mostly upon the effectiveness of its design, the ability to adjust the lighting as factors in a space change, and keeping the system well maintained. Lighting that is flexible-i.e.
Controls are key to lighting flexibility.
Techniques such as group relamping and planned lighting maintenance can greatly reduce the cost of labor while enhancing the quality and effectiveness of lighting. In many cases, better lighting maintenance permits the use of fewer fixtures and lamps, creating significant modernization and energy cost savings, too. It also has reduced incidents of vandalism, auto break-ins and thefts and assaults. A number of insurers have offered lower premiums to organizations that lower risk by providing better lighting. Better outdoor lighting permits security patrols to see more in far less times, so that fewer security patrols can achieve the same or even better results.