LUNOVA LEARNING CENTRE
Where light and sound work as one
A knowledge base exploring the science, design, and human benefits of acoustic lighting — the field that's quietly revolutionising how modern spaces feel.
50%+
of employees say poor acoustics hurt daily productivity
NRC 0.70
minimum recommended rating
for open-plan offices
2-in-1
lighting + sound absorption
in a single overhead fixture
100%
recycled PET felt used in
leading acoustic products
Understanding NRC ratings, reverberation, and the acoustic physics that make these products work.The science
behind it
Sound in a room: the basics
Every time a sound is made in an enclosed space, its waves travel outward and hit surrounding surfaces. Hard surfaces — glass, concrete, plasterboard — reflect almost all of that energy back into the room. As waves bounce repeatedly, they overlap and compound, creating reverberation: a smeared, sustained version of the original sound that makes speech harder to understand and spaces feel louder than they should.
Understanding NRC ratings
The Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) is the single most important number when specifying acoustic products. It measures how much sound energy a material absorbs, averaged across key speech frequencies (250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, and 2,000 Hz). A value of 0.00 means the material reflects all sound; 1.00 means it absorbs all sound.
Target NRC 0.70–0.85 for open-plan offices and meeting rooms. Values above 0.85 suit spaces requiring maximum speech clarity. Testing follows ASTM C423 reverberation-room methodology. Luxxbox pendant lights have been independently tested to a minimum NRC of 0.45 (Class D) up to NRC 0.70 (Class C).
What is reverberation time (RT60)?
RT60 is the time it takes for a sound to decay by 60 decibels after the source stops. A shorter RT60 means a drier, clearer acoustic environment. Office spaces with too-long RT60 values (typically above 0.6 seconds for open plan) feel noisy and fatiguing even at moderate sound pressure levels.
Acoustic lighting placed in the ceiling plane — where reflective surfaces are hardest — is particularly effective at reducing RT60 because it intercepts sound before it can undergo multiple reflections.
Key acoustic materials at a glance
MATERIAL
Recycled PET Felt
Acoustic Wool
Acoustic Foam
TYPICAL NRC
0.65 - 0.95
0.60 - 0.90
0.55 - 0.86
0.50 - 0.80
0.55 - 0.80
SUSTAINABILITY
Polyester Short Fibre
Mycelium-Based Panels
How PET felt works
Recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) felt is an open-cell, fibrous material. When sound waves enter its surface, the fine fibres convert the wave's kinetic energy into a negligible amount of heat through friction. This dissipation prevents sound from being reflected back into the room.
PET felt's porous structure makes it particularly effective at mid-range frequencies — exactly the frequencies of human speech — making it an ideal material for office acoustic solutions.
COMMON USE
Pendant lights, baffles, wall panels
Premium fixtures, wall upholstery
Ceiling panels, baffles
Studio treatment, pods
Feature panels, cutting-edge installations
100% Recycled Recyclable
Biodegradable Natural Fibre
Recyclable
Varies by Product
100% Grown Compostable