INTD 52 fundamentals of lighting

choosing the correct lamps

choosing the correct luminaires

lamps a.k.a. lightbulbs

thousands of lamps to choose from—find the ones that work well for your particular style

all lamps have their advantages and disadvantages—understanding them & informing your clients what those differences are is the keyelement to making intelligent selections

knowing the various properties of the lamps that are available will help in choosing your luminaires

four categories:•incandescent•fluorescent•high-intensity discharge (HID) •light-emitting diode (LED)

INCANDESCENT LAMPS

•what we are most familiar with•has been around since the 1800s•standard household bulbs•come in many sizes & shapes•come in many wattages & voltages•least efficient of the four categories•heating the filament to a visible glow generateslight—the hotter the filament, the brighter the light

INCANDESCENT LAMPS

•lamp life is shortened by the heat•glass envelopes are usually clear or frosted•can be colored to provide a wide varietyof hues•basic incandescent emits light that is yellowish incolor•degrees Kelvin? 2800 K•dramatically effects the look of objects being illuminated

INCANDESCENT LAMPS

standard incandescent lamps are:

•a good point source with optical control•easily dimmed at a relatively low cost•very versatile in regard to shapes and wattages drawbacks:•short lamp life—750 – 2,000 hours•the least efficient of the four categories

INCANDESCENT LAMPS

due to concerns over energy conservation, and advances in technology, certain lamps have been replaced by newer, more efficient light sources

INCANDESCENT LAMPS

you can tell a lot about an incandescent lamp from its name:

•100-watt version is called a 100A19 IF120V•A—shape of the lamp (arbitrary)•19—refers to the diameter of the lamp

(all lamps are measured in increments of 1/8 inch)

•IF—inside frost•120V—120 volt lamp

HALOGEN LAMPS

is an advanced or improved incandescent lamp

“Just like standard incandescents but contain a halogen gas which recycles tungsten back ontothe filament surface. The halogen gas allowsthe lamps to burn more intensely without sacrificing life”

--GE lighting

HALOGEN LAMPS

•whiter than standard incandescent by 200 K•still 2000 K yellower than daylight•when dimmed becomes as yellow as standard incandescent•treat as basically a warm source of illumination

HALOGEN LAMPS

advantages

•sources tend to be smaller in sixe than standardincandescent sources of comparable wattage•produce more light that standard incandescent sources of comparable wattage•better optical control than most standard incandescent, fluorescent or HID sources•come in a variety of shapes and sizes

HALOGEN LAMPS

disadvantages

•light yellows when dimmed•dimming may shorten lamp life—should be turned up full at regular intervals to maximize lamp life•glass envelope should not be touched withoutwearing gloves•have to be shielded or enclosed in a glass envelope to protect area around it from its intense heat

HALOGEN LAMPS

•with the right reflectors, halogen can producea wide variety of beam spreads•made in in almost all the shapes and sizes of incandescent lamps

•a few are unique:•MR16 & MR11—originally designed for slide projectors

•PAR36—originally used as airplane fog lights

FLUORESCENT LAMPS

using electricity to energize a phosphor coating on the inside of a glass envelope creates fluorescent light

•inside the envelope are droplets of mercury and inert gases such as argon or krypton•at each end of the fluorescent tube are electrodes•when electricity flows, between electrodes they create ultraviolet light that causes the phosphor coating to glow or “fluoresce”

FLUORESCENT LAMPS

advantages

•longer lamp life— 10,000 hours

•lower maintenance time & cost— replaced less often

•more lumen output— 3-5 times more lumens for same watts

•cooler source— don’t give off as much heat

•color variety— huge number of color temperatures available

•dimming— do not change significantly in color temperature when dimmed

FLUORESCENT LAMPS

disadvantages

•lamp life and lumen output— halfway through its life, produces 20% less light

•hum— specify an electronic ballast

•relative inability to accent— must use reflectors to try and use for accent of any kind

•temperature restrictions— difficult to ignite in very cold temperatures

FLUORESCENT LAMPS

prime uses:

•ambient light•storage areas•closets and laundry rooms

HIGH-INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID)

holds the most mystery for designersand architects

•inside the glass envelope is a small cylinder (made of ceramic or quartz) called an “arc tube”•it is filled with a blend of pressurized gases•ballast directs electricity through the tube & charges the gases to produce light

HIGH-INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID)

•best suited for exterior lighting•large in size•require a ballast•are not fully dimmable•have a limited number of wattages•typically have a 10,000-hour lamp life•very “high lumen output”

HIGH-INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID)

types: mercury vapor

•been around the longest•produces a silvery blue-green light•terrible for skin tones•acceptable for lighting trees

HIGH-INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID)

types: high pressure sodium

•most widely used•typically streetlights•emit a gold-orange light•poor color rendering capabilities•difficult to distinguish faces in this light

HIGH-INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID)

types: low pressure sodium

•even worse color quality•gray-orange•gives most colors the same value•has the longest life & highest lumen output

HIGH-INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID)

types: metal halide

•newest•produces a light that is the whitest of the HID sources•comes in two very usable color temperatures 3000 K and 4000 K•come in very small sizes, allowing for more compact luminaires

HIGH-INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID)

disadvantages

•tendency to shift color throughout life•don’t shift all the same way•metal halide shifts toward green or magenta

•mass relamping halfway through lifespan will keep color as constant as possible

bottom line

knowing which lamps work for what you want to create is the main building block for successful and effective lighting design

cracking the code

some abbreviations to know:A—arbitraryIF—inside frostSB—silver bowlG—globeT—tubularR—reflectorER—ellipsoidal reflectorPAR—parabolic aluminized reflector MR—mirror reflectorS—sign

participation activity: cracking the code

…complete the handout using pages 23-35 in your text book…discuss your answers as a class

INTD 52 fundamentals of lighting

choosing the correct lamps

choosing the correct luminaires

luminaire is the industry term for “light fixture”

being familiar with the many types of luminaires that are available is as important as knowing what lamps should go into them

portable luminaires

•torcheres•uplights•table lamps•adjustable accent lights•picture lights•swags

surface-mounted luminaires

•track lighting•ceiling mounted•pendant•chandeliers

participation activity: luminaire presentation

…with your assigned group, create an outline for your classmates of information that they need to know about your luminaire category…collect images of as many different examples of your luminaire category for visual aides…use the internet, magazines or other research methods available to you to find any information on cutting-edge technology that pertains to your luminaire category