Near-Infrared Light: When Healthy Lighting Moves Beyond the Visible

deLIGHTed talks Asia @ GILE 2026

Good Light Wake-up Call Series Report 06

Anne Berends / SunLED Life Science: Near-Infrared Light and Wellbeing

Over the past few years, the healthy lighting conversation has been shaped by a familiar set of keywords:

Full spectrum.
Daylight-like light.
Eye-care lighting.
Circadian lighting.
m-EDI.
Melanopic ratio.
High daytime stimulation, low evening stimulation.
From LPW to human rhythms.

These are important developments. They show that the lighting industry is beginning to move beyond conventional visual illumination and toward a more complete understanding of light as part of the human environment.

But at deLIGHTed talks Asia @ GILE 2026, Dr. Anne Berends of SunLED Life Science brought the discussion into a more advanced — and more delicate — territory: Near-Infrared Light and Wellbeing: Emerging Evidence, Applications, and Scientific Boundaries

The value of this presentation was not simply that it introduced near-infrared light, or NIR, into the healthy lighting conversation. Its deeper message was this: Healthy light should not stop at visible light.

But the further healthy lighting moves into emerging biological territory, the more it needs scientific boundaries. Once we begin to speak about near-infrared light, photobiomodulation, physiological responses and systemic health effects, we can no longer rely on concepts, intuition or marketing language alone.

We must return to fundamental questions:

What wavelength?
What irradiance?
How long is the exposure?
What is the irradiated area?
Where does the light reach the body?
Is the dose meaningful?
What are the safety boundaries?
What is the level of evidence?
Can it be applied in real environments?
Can it be measured, designed, controlled and verified?

This is why Anne Berends’ presentation deserves careful attention from the lighting industry.

1 | Natural sunlight is not only visible light

The lighting industry often uses terms such as “daylight-like,” “full spectrum” or “natural light.”

But in practice, much of what we call full-spectrum lighting remains mainly within the visible range — roughly 380 to 780 nm. We focus on:

CCT.
Duv.
CRI.
TM-30.
Rf and Rg.
R9.
Melanopic EDI.
Blue content.
Red content.
Spectral continuity.

All of these matter. But natural sunlight contains more than visible light. It also includes ultraviolet radiation, near-infrared radiation and longer wavelengths.

Modern buildings and modern electric lighting systems often filter or exclude much of this non-visible part of sunlight. Glazing systems, energy-saving strategies, LED spectral design and interior lighting practices mean that the light we receive indoors is mostly light that allows us to see — but not necessarily the broader solar spectrum that has shaped human biology over time.

This is where Anne’s presentation begins.

Modern people spend much of their waking life indoors.
Modern indoor lighting usually emits visible light only.
Modern windows and building envelopes may also block or reduce near-infrared light from the sun.

As a result, an important part of natural sunlight may be largely absent indoors: Near-infrared light.

This does not mean that every indoor space should replicate outdoor sunlight. Nor does it mean that near-infrared light should be added everywhere. But it does raise an important question for the industry:

When we say “light like the sun,” what do we actually mean?
Is visible spectrum alone enough?
Are CCT, CRI and m-EDI sufficient to describe a biologically meaningful indoor light environment?
If people spend most of their time indoors without NIR exposure, is that a subject worthy of serious research and responsible innovation?

Anne’s presentation opens this new boundary: The spectrum of healthy lighting may not end at visible light.

2 | What is near-infrared light?

Near-infrared light, or NIR, lies beyond visible red light. Human eyes generally cannot see it.

In the traditional lighting industry, NIR has not usually been the main focus. The core purpose of lighting has long been to help people see. NIR does not directly contribute to visual brightness. It is not represented in lumens, lux or CRI.

From a conventional lighting-engineering perspective, it may even be viewed as energy that does not create visible lighting value.

This is one reason why white LED systems have typically optimized visible light output, luminous efficacy and energy efficiency while reducing non-visible emission.

But from a biophotonic and photobiomodulation perspective, NIR may have another kind of relevance. Anne explained that near-infrared light can penetrate deeper into the skin and may interact with cellular structures, including mitochondria. These interactions are often discussed in relation to ATP, nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species and other physiological pathways.

This field is generally referred to as: Photobiomodulation.

It is important to be precise here. Photobiomodulation is not ordinary illumination. NIR is not conventional “lighting brightness.”

It is not used to make a room brighter. It is not used to improve colour rendering. It is not a replacement for melanopic EDI in circadian lighting.

It belongs to a different question: Can light, under specific wavelengths, intensities, exposure times and delivery methods, support certain biological processes?

This is why NIR is both exciting and risky for the lighting industry. It is exciting because it may open a new frontier for Good Light. It is risky because it can easily be overclaimed.

3 | NIR is not an automatic “healthier light” label

The healthy lighting market has already seen many waves of simplified terminology:

Low blue light.
Full spectrum.
Eye-care light.
Daylight-like light.
Circadian lighting.
Sleep-support light.
Mood lighting.
Natural light.

Each of these concepts has some scientific or practical foundation.

But once they enter the market, they can be reduced to labels.

Low blue light becomes “less blue is always better.”
Full spectrum becomes “the fuller the spectrum, the healthier the light.”
Circadian lighting becomes “cool in the morning, warm at night.”
Eye-care lighting becomes “high CRI plus no flicker.”
Healthy lighting becomes a product slogan.

So when NIR enters the healthy lighting conversation, the industry must establish boundaries early.

Near-infrared light is not automatically healthier. It is not a universal benefit simply because it exists in sunlight. It is not a feature that should be added to every luminaire without context.

The most important phrase in Anne’s presentation title is: Scientific Boundaries.

This should be the starting point for any serious discussion of NIR in lighting. The question is not simply whether a product contains NIR.

The real questions are:

What wavelength is used?
What irradiance reaches the user?
How long is the exposure?
Is the dose meaningful?
What is the irradiated area?
Is the exposure to skin, eyes or another body region?
What is the distance between source and user?
Is there safety control?
Is long-term use appropriate?
Does it suit different age groups and populations?
What evidence supports the specific claim?

Without these questions, NIR could become the next overused healthy lighting concept.

Good Light Wake-up Call is not about turning scientific terms into marketing labels. It is about translating science into systems that can be designed, measured, verified and responsibly delivered.

4 | The key is not only wavelength. It is dose.

One of the most important words in Anne’s presentation was: Dose.

This is a crucial shift for the lighting industry.

Traditional lighting practice is used to talking about:

Luminous flux.
Illuminance.
Colour temperature.
Colour rendering.
Luminous efficacy.
Power.
Lifetime.

But when we talk about NIR and photobiomodulation, it is not enough to say that a product “has near-infrared.”

Just as a medicine cannot be described only by naming its active ingredient, NIR cannot be evaluated only by the presence of a wavelength.

We need to know the delivered dose.

That means:

Irradiance.
Exposure time.
Irradiated area.
Distance.
Beam angle.
Wavelength.
Skin exposure.
Safety control.

Anne’s presentation emphasized that a meaningful light recipe requires several key elements:

The wavelength must be in the relevant NIR range.
The irradiance must reach a meaningful level.
Exposure time and exposed area together determine dose.
The dose must be sufficient to have biological relevance.

If irradiance is too low, the presence of NIR may have little biological meaning.

If the dose is too high, safety concerns may arise.

If exposure geometry is not controlled, the result becomes uncertain.

If user distance varies significantly, the dose becomes difficult to manage.

If the system does not track exposure time or distance, verification becomes weak.

This is one of the biggest differences between NIR and general illumination.

Conventional lighting can discuss space-level brightness, comfort, aesthetics and visual tasks. NIR, if it is to be discussed in relation to health and wellbeing, must enter dose logic.

This is a new challenge for the lighting industry.

It means the product must do more than emit light.
It must understand the exposed body area.
It must understand distance.
It must understand time.
It must understand dose.
It must understand safety.
It must understand use context.

This also means that NIR may not always be suitable as a uniformly distributed layer across an entire room. It may be better delivered through specific devices, specific beam angles, specific distances and specific usage protocols.

5 | Why ordinary white LEDs and incandescent lamps are not simple answers

Anne’s presentation also offered an important clarification.

Most warm white LEDs do not emit in the NIR spectrum.
Incandescent lamps do contain NIR. However, at common indoor lighting levels, the NIR irradiance from incandescent lamps may be far lower than natural sunlight and may not reach levels discussed in current NIR studies.

This is important because it corrects two common misunderstandings.

The first misunderstanding is: “White LEDs do not emit NIR, therefore LEDs are unhealthy.”

This is too simplistic. LEDs offer major advantages in efficiency, controllability, spectral engineering and system integration. With proper engineering, high-power NIR LEDs combined with secondary optics, narrow beams, presence detection and dose control may deliver meaningful NIR exposure in a more controlled and energy-conscious way.

The second misunderstanding is: “Incandescent lamps contain near-infrared, therefore incandescent light is naturally healthier.”

This is also too simplistic. Incandescent lamps may emit NIR, but that does not mean their ordinary use provides a meaningful or controlled biological dose. Nor does it justify broad health claims.

The real issue is not the category of light source. The real issue is:

Effective wavelength.
Delivered irradiance.
Exposure time.
Exposed area.
Dose control.
Energy efficiency.
Safety boundary.
Application context.

This is where healthy lighting must move beyond light-source nostalgia and toward system design.

6 | From light source to device: NIR requires a different product logic

Anne introduced SunLED’s application direction, including a real-world example: SunBooster.

This example is important because it is not a conventional ceiling luminaire.

It is not a downlight.
It is not a panel.
It is not simply a general lighting product with NIR added.

It is closer to a controllable personal light exposure device:

USB-C powered.
Attachable to a monitor or laptop.
Using NIR around 850 nm.
Designed with distance detection and dose control.
Delivering meaningful exposure with relatively low power consumption.

This illustrates a key point:

NIR may not enter buildings in the same way as conventional lighting.

It may not simply be a ceiling luminaire.
Not just a downlight.
Not just a panel light.
Not just a linear fixture.
And not merely another general lighting system in an office.

Instead, NIR is more likely to enter the built environment in several different forms:

First, as a dedicated personal device.

For example, directional irradiation modules integrated into desks, computer workstations, control consoles, cockpits, or wellness devices.

Second, as an additional function within a lighting product.

However, it would require precise control of distance, angle, timing, and dosage.

Third, as a supplementary light environment in healthcare, wellness, sports recovery, or specialized work settings.

But only with clearly defined usage protocols and safety boundaries.

Fourth, as an optional module within smart buildings or healthy buildings.

Integrated with sensors, occupant behavior data, and health-oriented building strategies.

Fifth, in applications closer to the human body, such as vehicle cabins, desktop environments, and personal electronic devices.

This highlights a fundamental difference from traditional lighting:

Traditional lighting primarily serves spaces.

NIR is more likely to serve specific human exposure.

As a result, its product design logic cannot begin solely with the question of how to illuminate a space.

Instead, it must start by asking:

Who is using it?
Which part of the body is being exposed?
For how long?
At what distance?
At what dosage?
Is exposure being recorded?
Is it safe?
Can it be stopped immediately?
Can it be personalized?

These are the questions that manufacturers—particularly LED and lighting companies in China—need to understand carefully.

If NIR LEDs are simply added to luminaires and marketed as a “healthy lighting upgrade,” the industry risks moving in the wrong direction.

The true value of NIR products does not come from merely adding another wavelength. It comes from creating a controllable, explainable, and verifiable light exposure system.

7 | From visible light to invisible light: the boundary of healthy lighting is expanding

Professor Robert Lucas helped the industry understand that traditional lux is not enough, and that melanopic EDI is needed to describe how light tells the body time.

Dr. Marijke Gordijn reminded us that Good Light means the right light at the right time: sufficient light during the day, reduced light in the evening and darkness at night.

Jan Denneman reminded us that the lighting industry must move from illumination to human outcomes.

Kei Haraguchi, through Nichia’s Dynasolis™, showed that white LED value after 30 years cannot remain only at LPW, but must move toward circadian support and human value.

Anne Berends pushes the boundary further:

When healthy lighting enters the NIR domain, are we ready to understand invisible light with the same level of rigor?

This matters.

NIR cannot be directly perceived by users.
Designers cannot judge it through spatial atmosphere alone.
Owners cannot evaluate it only through marketing claims.

The industry therefore needs a more mature vocabulary:

Wavelength.
Irradiance.
Dose.
Exposure geometry.
Safety mechanism.
Application context.
Evidence level.
Risk boundary.
Verification method.

Otherwise, NIR may become an invisible health claim. The more invisible the light, the more visible the evidence must be.

8 | The global opportunity: NIR should not become the next concept bubble

The global lighting industry is very good at responding to new trends.

When full spectrum becomes popular, many products become full spectrum.
When low blue light becomes popular, many products become low blue light.
When eye-care lighting becomes popular, many products become eye-care lighting.
When circadian lighting becomes popular, many systems become cool-to-warm tuning.
When healthy lighting becomes popular, many products become healthy lighting.

This market speed can be a strength. But it can also create risk.

If NIR becomes the next hot topic, the market may quickly produce many claims:

NIR healthy lamps.
Near-infrared eye-care lights.
Sun-like NIR lighting.
Sleep repair lights.
Immune-support lights.
Anti-fatigue lights.
Office recovery lights.
Longevity lights.
Healing lights.

These words are attractive.

But without dose, context, verification and boundaries, they can become dangerous oversimplifications.

Anne’s presentation is therefore not only a technology story. It is a warning: Do not rush to package NIR as a universal health benefit.

First, clarify the science. Clarify the application conditions. Clarify the dose model. Clarify the safety boundaries. Clarify what can and cannot be claimed.

The leading companies in this field will not be those who launch the first NIR concept product.

They will be those who can answer:

What is the wavelength?
What is the irradiance?
What is the exposure distance?
What dose does the user actually receive?
How long is meaningful exposure?
Is there overexposure protection?
Is it appropriate for children, older adults, pregnant users, people with eye diseases or people with sensitive skin?
Does it require professional guidance?
What research supports this specific application?
Can it be measured by a third party?
Are the claims clear, limited and responsible?

If these questions cannot be answered, health claims should not be made.

9 | The real opportunity is not a concept. It is system capability.

Although caution is essential, NIR may still represent a meaningful opportunity for the LED, lighting and healthy building industries. The opportunity may not lie in mass-market commodity luminaires.

It may lie in more specific and higher-value directions:

Personal light exposure devices.
Health-supportive workstations.
Healthcare and rehabilitation environments.
Sports recovery and fatigue management.
Automotive interiors and driver/passenger monitoring environments.
Senior living and long-term care.
Smart building health modules.
24-hour light environments combining visible circadian light and controlled NIR exposure.

The barriers in these areas are not only manufacturing.

They include:

Optical design.
Thermal management.
Electronics.
Sensors.
Dose calculation.
Software logging.
Human factors.
Medical collaboration.
Safety standards.
Scenario validation.
Long-term operation.

This is where the lighting industry can move from selling light products to delivering light-based health-supportive systems. But the foundation cannot be storytelling alone. It must be built on data. Research. Measurement. Cross-disciplinary collaboration. Clinical or real-world evidence. Responsible product definition.

10 | Healthy lighting is not about putting every wavelength into one lamp

When the industry speaks about full spectrum, there is often a temptation:

If sunlight contains these components, let us put all of them into a lamp.

Visible light.
Blue light.
Red light.
Near-infrared light.

And perhaps more.

But healthy lighting is not about putting every wavelength into one fixture.

Good Light is not “the more complete, the better.” It is not “the more solar-like, the better.” It is not “the more wavelengths, the healthier.”

The real questions are:

What does this space need?
What does this population need?
What time of day is it?
What is the task?
Is the dose appropriate?
Is the risk controlled?
Can the effect be verified?

A daytime office is not the same as a nighttime bedroom. A hospital ward is not the same as a retail space. A senior-care environment is not the same as a classroom.

Visible circadian stimulation and NIR photobiomodulation are not the same biological pathway.

Future healthy lighting systems may not be one universal spectrum. They may be multi-layered, time-based, scenario-specific and dose-aware systems.

Some light supports vision.
Some light supports circadian rhythms.
Some light shapes atmosphere.
Some light may support specific biological pathways.
Some light should appear during the day.
Some light should disappear at night.
Some light should reach the eye.
Some light may be more relevant to the skin.
Some light must be very low.
Some light must be precisely controlled.

This is the system thinking that Good Light now requires.

11 | From Good Light to Responsible Light

Anne Berends’ presentation reminds us that Good Light must also be Responsible Light.

This is especially true when light moves into fields such as health, sleep, mood, metabolism, recovery, care and biological modulation. The industry cannot simply chase the next feature.

The closer we come to health, the more restraint we need.
The closer we come to the human body, the more verification we need.
The more advanced the science, the clearer the boundary must be.
The less visible the light, the more measurable the evidence must be.
The greater the imagination, the greater the responsibility.

This is not a barrier to innovation. It is the condition that allows innovation to last.

Without scientific boundaries, NIR may quickly become another overused market term.
Without verification, healthy lighting will lose trust.
Without responsible communication, even valuable technology may be questioned.

The future of NIR will not be decided by who makes the strongest claims. It will be decided by who can make the technology clearer, safer, more controlled and more verifiable.

Closing: the next step of healthy lighting is not only to see light, but to understand light

Anne Berends’ presentation opened a new door for the Good Light Wake-up Call.

A door beyond visible light. A door toward NIR. A door toward photobiomodulation. A door toward deeper interactions between light and the human body.

But this door must not be opened carelessly. It is both an opportunity and a responsibility.

For the international lighting, LED and healthy building industries, NIR should not become the next concept bubble. It should become an opportunity to upgrade:

From selling light sources to understanding biological light effects.
From selling luminaires to designing dose and exposure.
From telling health stories to defining evidence boundaries.
From chasing trends to building verifiable systems.
From Good Light to Responsible Light.

The next step of healthy lighting is not only to see light.

It is to understand light. To understand visible light. And invisible light.
To understand vision. And rhythms.
To understand spectrum. And dose.
To understand products. And contexts.
To understand opportunities. And boundaries.

Only then can near-infrared light become more than a new marketing phrase. Only then can it become a trustworthy and valuable part of future healthy lighting systems.

Good Light Wake-up Call.