High Light Reflective Ceilings

The ceiling is an integral part of an indirect lighting system because it must reflect the light that strikes it back into the space. The ability of a ceiling to reflect light is indicated by its Light Reflectance or LR value. LR values range from 0.00 to 1.00 and denote the percent of light striking the panel that is reflected.

For example, an LR or 0.75 means the panel reflects 75% of the light striking it. Most commonly installed acoustical ceilings have an LR of 0.70 to 0.81. High light reflectance or Hi-LR ceilings have an LR of 0.83 or higher.

In general, increasing the reflectance of a ceiling has a very positive impact on the lighting and energy use of a building, especially when used in conjunction with an indirect lighting system.