A lighting ballast has three primary functions: first, establish an electric arc through the lamp; second, limit current through the lamp after ignition; and third, compensate for variations in line voltage and ensure consistent lumen output. Learn the difference between traditional core-and-coil, and newer (and better) electronic ballasts …
Ceramic Metal Halide Lighting Basics
Ceramic Metal Halide is relatively new light source, touted for being compact, efficient, and powerful. CMH is part of the high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting category, which offers the highest efficacy and longest life of any lighting type, and saves up to 90% of lighting energy when they replace incandescent lamps.
Consider Photopic, Scotopic, Mesopic Vision before Specifying Lumen Requirements
Commercial photometry is important for lighting installers and their clients in choosing the best locations to install fixtures as well as ensuring maximum efficiency of lighting systems. The science of measuring light, in terms of how the human eye perceives its brightness, is called photometry. …
Illuminance Explained
Illuminance is the amount of light striking a surface – also known as incident light, where the “incident” is the beam of light actually landing on the surface. Lumens are a measure of the quantity of light, referred to as luminous flux or just flux, emitted by a light source. When considering lighting applications, illuminance is used to measure …
What is Full Spectrum Lighting?
Lighting spectrum – Natural and artificial lighting. Light, as we humans see it, is electromagnetic radiation that’s visible to the human eye. It’s the part of the electromagnetic spectrum we call “visible light”. The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all frequencies, or wavelengths, of electromagnetic radiation – from very low energy frequencies like radio waves, to radiation with very … Read More
Is Color Quality Scale (CQS) an improvement on CRI?
Solid state lighting industry at an impasse efforts to replace CRI with CQS (Color Quality Scale) As advances in solid state lighting products, especially LEDs, continue to push into the marketplace displacing incandescent and fluorescent lighting products, it only stands to reason that evaluation methods for these products, such as the measurement of color fidelity, or CRI – now almost 50 … Read More
What is Color Rendering Index (CRI)
CRI measures on a scale of 0 to 100 how a light source shifts the location of eight specified pastel colors compared to the same colors lit by a reference light source of the same CCT. A CRI of 100, or perfect color rendering, means the light source renders the eight colors exactly how the reference light source renders them.
LUMENS: The new way to shop for light
New federal lighting regs to help consumers make ‘green’ lighting choices Starting Jan. 1, 2012, new federal regulations will require the most common light bulbs to be more energy efficient. Specifically, bulbs must produce the same amount of lumens (light output) for less wattage (energy consumption). All packages of light bulbs sold in stores after the New Year will carry … Read More
LED Lighting Basics
LED technology: changing the future of lighting Understanding the fundamentals of solid state lighting The light-emitting diode (LED), one of the most energy-efficient and rapidly-developing lighting technologies, has the potential to fundamentally change the future of lighting in the United States. That’s according to the Department of Energy (DOE), which also predicts that by 2027 widespread use of LEDs, also … Read More
Energy Efficient Lighting Basics
Modern energy efficient lighting technology is rapidly evolving and is creating opportunities for U.S. businesses and consumers alike to save money and the environment. Lighting represents about 20% of all electricity use in the United States with the cost to businesses and consumers topping $50 billion a year, according to the Department of Energy (DOE). That’s the same dollar amount … Read More