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Glossary - Common Lighting Terms & Definitions

 


 

1-9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

 


 

A

ACTIVE POWER
The system input power (in watts) for a lamp-ballast combination. 
AMP or AMPERE
The ampere (symbol: A) is the SI unit of electric current and one of only seven base unit in Physics.
Named after the French mathematician and physicist André-Marie Ampère (1775–1836), therefore the symbol is a capitol A instead of a lowercase a.
Electric current (I) = Power (P) / Electric potential (U)
SI Units: Ampere (A) = Watt (W) / Volt (V).
e.g.:
a standard T5 lamp draws 28 W - therefore an electric current of 0.233 A will flow (0.233 A = 28 W / 120 V)
AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS INSTITUTE (ANSI)
The organization that oversees the creation, promulgation and use of thousands of norms and voluntary guidelines that directly impact businesses in nearly every sector including the electrical industry.
ANSI CODE
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) code that indicates the electrical operating designation of the lamp, which must match that of the ballast.
AVERAGE RATED LIFE (OR BALLAST RATED LIFE)
The number of hours at which 50% of a large group of lamps have failed under standard test conditions (nominal voltage and current). Rated life is a median value of life expectancy; any lamp or group of lamps may vary from the published rated life.

 

B

BALLAST
A device which provides the necessary starting voltage and appropriate operating current to a fluorescent or high intensity discharge (HID) luminaire.
BALLAST ACCESS
The opening through which the ballast in a lamp fixture can be installed or replaced, either through the aperture or from above the lamp.
BALLAST FACTOR (BF)
The predicted real-world performance of a lamp-ballast combination. The ratio is calculated as the difference between the expected performance of a lamp with a commercial ballast versus the measured performance of that lamp with a reference ballast. Ballast factor depends on both the ballast and the lamp type. Rated Lamp Lumens x Ballast Factor = Net Lumens.
BALLAST CASE TEMPERATURE (BCT)
The measured operating temperature of a fixture’s ballast. Operating outside of a ballast’s specified operating temperature will shorten its functional lifespan.

 

C

COLOR RENDERING INDEX (CRI)
The Color Rendering Index is a measure of the ability of a light source to reproduce the colors of an object in comparison with an ideal or natural light source. It is measured on a scale of 1 to 100, where 100 indicates the exact same lighting characteristics (values above 85 are desirable as the light is similar to the natural light).
COLOR TEMPERATURE
Color temperature is measured in Kelvin (K) and is used to describe the warmth or coolness of the color appearance of a T5 tube or any other light source. Tubes that produce light with higher Kelvin (i.e. ≥ 4000K) are called cool colors (i.e. blueish-white) and are often used in office settings to enhance concentration. Tubes that produce light with lower Kelvin (i.e. 2700K – 3000K) are called warm colors (i.e. yellowish-white through red) and promote relaxation. Natural daylight has color temperatures ranging from 5000K to 6500K.
LUXADD offers tubes in various color temperatures, including:
  • 3500K Warm White
  • 4100K Cool White
  • 5000K Natural Light
  • 5800K Sunlight / High CRI
  • 6500K Daylight

 

E

ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
The difference in electrical potential between two points - better known as VOLTAGE.
Named after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745–1827).

 

L

LUMEN
lumen (symbol: lm) is the SI unit of the light flow or luminous flux, a measure of the total "amount" of light emitted by a source.

More to come soon....

 

 

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