False ceilings provide thermal insulation by creating an air gap between the soffit and the false ceiling.

• They reduce the air volume of a room and, as a result, the air-conditioning load.
• Thus, the air-conditioning requirement is reduced, resulting in lower electricity bills.

Ceilings reflect and diffuse light. A ceiling that reflects and diffuses light well reduces the need for artificial lighting. This results in improved energy efficiency and a better working environment.

We measure the ability of ceilings to reduce sound using something called noise reduction coefficient (NRC). NRC indicates the absorptive capacity of a particular material. It is simply the average of the mid-frequency sound absorption coefficients (250,500,1000 and 2000 Hz rounded to the nearest 5%). A NRC of 0.55 means that 55% of the sound is absorbed. The balance 45% sound is reflected.
 

The important criteria for selecting a good ceiling system are:
Acoustic performance: A ceiling should have good acoustics. It should enhance required sound, while eliminating or reducing unwanted sound.
Light efficiency: A ceiling that reflects and diffuses light well reduces need for artificial lighting. The result is improved energy efficiency and a better working environment.
Accessibility and service management: An important function of a suspended ceiling is concealing the plumbing, the air-conditioning system and electrical wiring. A good ceiling system also enables ease of access to such ducts and wires.
Other functional parameters: Apart from these parameters, fire safety, moisture resistance, ease in cleaning, load-bearing capacity, installation and environment friendliness are important.