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Home > Illustrated Glossary of Lighting Terms by Pegasus Lighting |
AC: see alternating current Accent Lighting: lighting that is used to accent or highlight a particular object such as a work of art. To be effective accent lighting should be approximately four or five times the level of ambient light in the room, area, or space. House plants can be accented by aiming an uplight at the wall behind the plant, creating a dramatic silhouette of the plant against the wall. To learn more about this topic click Accent Lighting.
Alabaster: genuine alabaster is a very fine variety of crystalline gypsum (hydrous calcium sulfate) found in nature. It is translucent and its color is often white, pearly, or silky colorless but it, more often than not, has subtle reddish-brown bands of iron oxide running through it. It is often used for decorative objects such as light fixtures or figurines. Some light fixtures use faux alabaster, which is usually man-made glass. Both genuine and faux alabaster can be very attractive. The faux alabaster is generally much less expensive while real alabaster can lose some of its coloration over time. Real alabaster is expensive simply because quarrying it is costly and there is huge amount of waste when it is shaped, finished, and polished. Genuine alabaster is a minimum of 3/8in thick and weighs at least twice as much as imitations and has translucent and dark bands that are completely random in shape, size, and location. Since alabaster is a soft, porous stone it should be treated gently and never cleaned with detergents or abrasives. Instead, wipe alabaster with a slightly damp (not wet), soft cloth. Furthermore, heating alabaster for long periods of time with a high-wattage light bulb may drive out the residual water in the alabaster and turn it completely white.
Alternating Current (AC): the flow of electricity (electric current) in a circuit that frequently alternates direction every second. In the USA, the standard frequency of alternating current is 60 Hz (hertz or cycles/second) and AC (as opposed to direct current) is generally the method for delivering electric power to homes and buildings.
Ambient Lighting: general lighting that usually lights up an entire space
Area Lighting: a landscape lighting term that refers to the lighting of large landscaped areas, usually with floodlights Baffle: in lighting this is usually a grooved surface that deflects and controls the “flow” of light to soften it and minimize reflected glare. Baffle trims (sometimes called step baffle trims or stepped baffle trims), made of plastic or metal, are often integral parts of recessed downlights. They are often colored a flat black to absorb some of the light but can have other finishes such as flat white, brushed copper, or brushed nickel.
Ballast: an electrical device used with fluorescent and HID (high intensity discharge) lamps (light bulbs) to supply sufficient voltage to start and operate the lamp but then to limit the current during operation
Barn Doors: 2 or 4 adjustable opaque plates attached to the front of a luminaire, such as a track fixture or a theatrical spotlight, which are used to shape and focus the light on a designated area, such as a framed work of art or a stage scene
Base: the portion of a lamp (light bulb) that provides a means of physically and electrically connecting the lamp to a socket or lampholder within a luminaire
Basket Troffer: a troffer whose light sources are concealed by curved opaque shielding called "baskets", which are often perforated with a pattern of small holes. This type of troffer provides both direct lighting through the perforations and indirect lighting by bouncing light up from the basket and then off the upper light-colored opaque parts of the troffer.
Bayonet Base: a type of lamp base with pins that serve to lock the lamp into slots in the lamp socket of a luminaire. The bayonet base got its name from the method used by soldiers to mount bayonets on their rifles.
Beam Spread: a measure of the spread of light from a reflectorized light source, a special-shaped lamp with a reflective coating inside the bulb to direct the light forward. The beam spread may be very narrow (narrow spot), very wide (wide flood), or something in-between (narrow flood, for example). Examples of "reflectorized light sources" are MR11, MR16, PAR20, PAR30, PAR38, R40, ER30, and BR30 lamps.
Bollard: an outdoor luminaire that is a short (usually about 2-4 feet in height) but very sturdy vertical post with the light source located at or near the top. Bollards are typically used to light walkways in commercial settings.
Brick Light: a light fixture (usually the size of a brick) that can be recessed in a brick wall with its face parallel to the surface of the brick surface in order to light a walkway, a step, a landing, or a path
Bulb: a colloquial term for a lamp. In the lighting industry, the term, bulb, refers only to the glass envelope of the lamp. Some lighting professionals contemptuously refer to "bulbs" as those things that are planted in the ground. cd: see Candela
Cable Lighting System: a low voltage lighting system where the mechanism holding the light fixtures and conducting electricity to those fixtures is a pair of cables.
Candela (cd): the unit of measurement of luminous intensity (cd) of a light source in a given direction.
Cathode: an electrode that emits electrons. A fluorescent lamp cathode emits or discharges electrons to the cathode at the other end of the lamp (light bulb).
Cave Effect: an unwanted consequence often associated with parabolic troffers, the cave effect is created when the light fixtures in a room apply no direct light to the upper part of walls due to an extreme cut-off angle
CFL: see compact fluorescent lamp
Chandelier: a chandelier is often the focal point of the dining room. As such it should be hung about 30 inches above the tabletop and should be at least 6 inches narrower than the table on each side.
Circline: a type of fluorescent lamp that is made up of a circular tube of glass; when placed in a light fixture the ballast that powers this type of lamp is usually located in the center of the circline lamp
Color Rendering Index (CRI): a measure of a lamps ability to render colors accurately. The scale ranges from 1 (low pressure sodium) to 100 (the sun). A CRI of 85 is considered to be very good.
Color Temperature: a measure of the color appearance of a light source which helps describe the apparent "warmth" (reddish) or "coolness" (bluish) of that light source. Generally, light sources below 3200K are considered "warm;" while those above 4000K are considered "cool" light sources. The color temperature of a lamp has nothing to do with how hot the lamp will get or how much heat is given off by the lamp. The letter, K, stands for Kelvin. These tables may help you better understand the concept of Color Temperature.
Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL): a generic name used for a whole family of small, single-ended fluorescent lamps with a folded, bridged, or spiral glass tube design and with high color rendering (CRI > 80) and a long life (> 8,000 hours). To learn more about this topic click CFL Information.
Cornice Lighting: a lighting system comprised of light sources shielded by a panel parallel to the wall and attached to the ceiling and distributing light over the wall.
CSA: the Canadian Standards Association, like UL and ETL in the USA, is a not-for-profit membership-based association serving business, industry, government, and consumers in Canada and the global marketplace. It is an organization that works in Canada and around the world to develop safety standards that address real needs, such as enhancing public safety and health, advancing the quality of life, and helping to preserve the environment.
Direct Current: electric current without alterations. DC current is usually supplied by a battery, a transformer, or photovoltaic cells.
Efficacy: a measure used to compare light output to energy consumption. Efficacy is measured in lumens per watt. A 100-watt light source producing 1750 lumens of light has an efficacy (efficiency) of 17.5 lumens per watt (L/W).
ER Lamp: a type of incandescent reflector lamp with the reflector shaped like an ellipsoid (a 3-dimensional ellipse) with the lamp's filament located at one of the two foci of the ellipsoid so that the light is focused directly in front of the lamp at the second foci
Faceplate: the metal or plastic plate installed over an on/off switch, dimmer, or receptacle, which covers the wall opening and protects the wiring inside the junction box
Filament: a tungsten wire that incandesces or lights up when an electric current runs through it.
Flexible Track Lighting System: a low voltage or a line voltage lighting system where the suspended track (sometimes called a monorail) holding the light fixtures in place and also conducting electricity to those fixtures can be bent into creative shapes.
Floodlight: a broad-beamed high intensity artificial light source
Foot-Candle: the amount of light reaching a subject. The commonly United States unit of measurement of lighting level (illumination) is the foot-candle (fc). The international unit of measurement of lighting level (Illumination) is the lux (lx). The relationship between the lux and the foot-candle is 1 fc = 10.76 lux.
Four-Way Switch: a wall switch that allows three switches like this to control one lighting system. Whenever you flip one of the four-way switches in a given circuit, the light changes its state; that is, if the light was on, it then turns off and if the light was off, it then turns on. General Lighting: substantially uniform lighting of a space without providing for special local lighting requirements like task lighting or accent lighting.
Glare: direct glare is caused by light coming directly to the eye from a light source. Indirect glare is light reflected from a surface in the direction of the eye. Both can harm vision and cause visual discomfort or disability.
High Pressure Sodium Lamp: a high intensity discharge (HID) light bulb that illuminates by radiation from sodium vapor producing a yellowish color rendering, when supplied with electricity from a ballast. This type of light bulb is often used in street lights and is available with clear or phosphor coated glass envelopes. Often abbreviated as HPS lamps they are considered to be quite efficient producing about 100 lumens/watt.
Illuminance: the amount of light energy (or “flux”) incident on a point of a surface. Illuminance is measured in foot-candles in the USA but in lux for most of the rest of the world.
Incandescence: light emission by a heated filament.
Infrared Radiation: a type of invisible radiation for which the wavelengths are longer and frequency lower than those for visible radiation.
Initial Lumens: the luminous output of a brand new lamp
Instant Start: refers to fluorescent lamps that start instantly without pre-heating the cathodes and without the need for starters.
Inverse Square Law: a law that states that the illuminance (E) at a point on a plane perpendicular to the line joining the point and a source is inversely proportional to the square of the distance (d) between the source and the plane, E = I/d².
IP Ratings: Ingress Protection (IP) ratings, developed by the European Committee for Electro Technical Standardization, are used to specify the environmental protection an enclosure provides to the electrical equipment inside that enclosure. An IP rating normally has two numbers associated with it: (1) protection from solid objects or materials and (2) protection from liquids (water). Example: With an IP rating of IP54, the "5" describes the level of protection from solid objects (protected against dust limited ingress with no harmful deposit) and the "4" describes the level of protection from liquids (protection against water sprayed from all directions with limited ingress permitted). An “X” can used for one of the digits if there is only one class of protection, e.g., IPX1 describes only the level of protection from liquids (protection against vertically falling drops of water, e.g., condensation). First IP Number - Protection Against Solid Objects
Second IP Number - Protection Against Liquids
Lamp: a light source such as an incandescent, halogen, or fluorescent lamp. A lamp is sometimes called a light bulb or simply a bulb.
Layers of Light: layers of light in a given space are created by introducing task lighting (lighting by which people perform tasks), accent lighting (lighting used to highlight specific objects), decorative lighting (lighting created by very attractive light sources), and general lighting (lighting that fills the space). This technique (long favored by cameramen and cinematographers) can eliminate ugly shadows in the room and on your face.
LED: light emitting diode. A small electronic device that lights up when electricity is passed through it. LEDs are quite energy-efficient and have very long lives. They can be red, green, blue or white in color. To learn more about this topic click LED FAQ.
LEED: LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings (including lighting energy efficiency), water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. LEED is flexible enough to apply to all building types – commercial as well as residential. It works throughout the building lifecycle – design and construction, operations and maintenance, tenant fitout, and significant retrofit.
Light Fixture: a complete lighting unit consisting of a lamp (light bulb) or lamps, a housing, and a connection to the source of electrical power. Examples of light fixtures are wall sconces, recessed downlights, mini pendants, table lamps, floor lamps, track heads, step lights, picture lights, desk lamps, and recessed troffers.
Light Source: a source of light (visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum). There are many light sources such as candle light, gaslight, oil lamps, kerosene lamps, stars including our own sun, lightning, aurorae, fluorescent light bulbs including CFLs, incandescent light bulbs (including halogen and xenon), high pressure sodium light bulbs, metal halide light bulbs, low pressure sodium light bulbs, neon lamps, cold cathode fluorescent lamps, chairladies sources like lightning bugs and "light sticks", LEDs of various colors, and organic light emitting diodes.
Light Trespass: also known as "spill light". Light that is emitted into an unintended area.
Linear Spread Lens: a lens designed to produce the asymmetrical distribution of light in one direction as opposed to a spread lens, which produces symmetrical distribution in all directions. This lens diverges light in one axis and leaves the other axis unchanged. A linear spread lens is sometimes called an elongated lens, elliptical lens, or a Skytex lens.
Low Voltage: although "low voltage" is generally defined as anything below 30 volts, low voltage lighting systems usually operate on 12 volts and sometimes 24 volts. It is important to note that a low voltage lighting system uses a transformer (electronic or magnetic) to transform the "incoming" voltage (usually 120 volts) to 12 or 24 volts because that's the voltage needed by the light bulbs in that lighting system. That is, the transformer of a low voltage lighting system uses the line voltage supplied in the home/building/facility but the light bulbs in that lighting system use the low voltage supplied by the transformer. To learn more about this topic click Low Voltage Lighting: 15 Things You Need to Know.
Lumen: a unit of measure used to describe the amount of light that a light source produces or emits. For reference please consult the table below.
Luminaire: a light fixture. This should not be confused with the term, luminary, which is a small open paper bag, sometimes with a design on it, containing a lit votive candle set in sand. Luminaries are often used to line outdoor walkways to provide a festive mood to a setting and a certain level of safety. In Mexico and the southwest USA, the terms, luminary and luminaries, become luminaria and luminarias. The term, luminary, can also refer to a person who has attained eminence in his/her field or is an inspiration to others. Mercury Vapor Lamp: a high intensity discharge (HID) light bulb that produces light by radiation from mercury vapor, when supplied with electricity from a ballast. Mercury vapor light bulbs usually have very long lifetimes and are available with clear or phosphor-coated glass envelopes. The Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 2005 included a provision that no new ballasts for mercury vapor light bulbs may be imported or manufactured for "general illumination use" in the U.S., effective January 1, 2008.
Metal Halide Lamp: a high intensity discharge (HID) light bulb that produces light by radiation from certain metallic vapors (such as scandium, sodium, thallium, and indium), when supplied with electricity from a ballast. Known for producing accurate color rendition with a range of 65-90 and are, therefore, often used to light large gymnasiums and athletic stadiums; can be produced with almost any color temperature from 2700K to 20,000K; relatively unaffected by ambient temperatures and can, therefore, be used indoors and outdoors; has high efficacy of between 65-115 lumens/watt, which makes it approximately 5 times as efficient as a typical incandescent light bulb; has a long life of 15,000-20,000+ hours
M.O.L.: maximum overall length of a lamp (light bulb) from tip to tip.
Neodymium: a rare earth element discovered in 1885 with an atomic number of 60 in the Periodic Table of Elements. It is a fairly common silvery metal that is used to make slightly purple glass envelopes for incandescent light bulbs, eye protection goggles for welding and glass blowing, laser rods, filters to color correct light for art displays, and lenses used by astronomers to calibrate spectrometers, optical instruments used for analyzing light. Using this substance in an incandescent light bulb makes it less "yellowish" and more like natural outdoor light; however, the use of these "daylight" light bulbs can "expose" the flaws or inconsistencies in things.
Opaque: a term that describes a material that does not transmit any visible light. A wooden door, aluminum foil, and bricks are all examples of opaque materials.
Open Circuit: an electric circuit in which the flow of electricity is interrupted due to an open circuit breaker or a blown fuse or a burned out electrical component or an on/off switch that has been turned off Parallel Circuit: an electric circuit that has two or more paths for the electricity to flow. The light fixtures in a parallel electric circuit are "parallel" to each other like rungs on a ladder. If one of the light fixtures in a parallel circuit burns out, the other light fixtures will remain on because the electric current would still be able to flow through them.
PL Lamp: a nickname for a twin tube fluorescent lamp coined by Philips Lighting, a large manufacturer of lamps.
Portable Lamp: a table lamp, floor lamp, pharmacy lamp, or reading lamp that can be easily moved and plugged into an electrical outlet; officially called a portable luminaire
Radio Frequency Interference (RFI): interference to the radio frequency band cased by other high frequency equipment or devices in the immediate area. Fluorescent lighting systems and AC electronic transformers can generate RFI.
Rapid Start: a fluorescent system that does not require starters and takes 1 to 2 seconds to emit light. The ballast preheats the electrodes within the fluorescent lamp and initiates the arc without a starter or the application of high voltage.
Rated Life: The rated life of a lamp signifies the time at which 50% of a large quantity of these lamps will have burned out. That means that 50% of these lamps will burn out before the rated life and 50% will burn out after the rated life. The rated life does not mean that every one of the lamps will last at least that long. Also, please note that the Actual Life of a Lamp = the Rated Life of that Lamp x (Rated Voltage/Operating Voltage) raised to the 12th power. For example, the Actual Life of a certain lamp that is designed to be used with 130 volts is equal to the Rated Life of that Lamp (let's say 1000 hours) x (130 volts/120 volts) raised to the 12th power. The Actual Life of this lamp is, therefore, equal to (1000 hours) x (1.083) raised to the twelfth power = (1000 hours) x (2.61) = 2610 hours. This means that an incandescent lamp that has a rated life of 1000 hours and is designed to be used with 130 volts but is used with 120 volts instead will have an "Actual Life" of 2610 hours.
R Lamp: an incandescent, cone-shaped, light bulb that has a reflecting surface on the inside rear of the glass envelope. Variations of this lamp type are the bulged reflector lamp (BR), the ellipsoidal reflector lamp (ER), and the small reflector lamp (R). Since mid-2008 BR and ER light bulbs greater than 65 watts, used mostly in commercial retail applications, have been outlawed from being manufactured. These banned light bulbs can be replaced with more-efficient halogen PAR light bulbs. Also since mid-2008, R20 light bulbs can be no more than 45 watts. If a higher wattage reflector-type lamp is needed, a more efficient halogen PAR20 light bulb can be used. The 65-watt BR30 light bulb, commonly used in homes and restaurants, may still be manufactured and sold.
Security Lighting: lighting that is used to protect people and property from criminal activity. When properly employed, security lighting eliminates shadows near buildings and provides even landscape illumination for pedestrian safety.
Series Circuit: an electric circuit that has only one path for the electricity to flow. The light fixtures in a series electric circuit are connected to each other in a single line like links in a chain. If one of the light fixtures in a series circuit burns out, the other light fixtures would not remain on because the electric circuit would become an open circuit and the electric current would not be able to get to the other light fixtures. Another term for a series circuit is a "daisy chain".
Shield: an opaque or semi-opaque element that serves to shield a light source from direct view at certain angles
Silhouetting: a landscape lighting technique used to create a distinct outline or silhouette of plants or other objects
Single-Pole Switch: a standard on/off wall switch that is the only switch that controls one or more light fixtures in a single electrical circuit
Sky Glow: also, known as "light pollution". The "haze" or "glow" that surrounds highly populated areas and reduces the ability to view the nighttime sky. Specifically, light that enters the sky from an outdoor lighting system by indirect light reflected from atmospheric particles such as fog, dust, or smog.
Snoot: a protruding hollow cone of opaque material that provides a high cut-off angle for certain types of track fixtures, landscape lights, or spotlights. A snoot focuses light into a small area and is often used in art gallery lighting, landscape lighting, or theater lighting.
Spill Light: light that goes beyond the object being lit
Spread Lens: a lens used in the front of a luminaire designed to diverge light evenly in all directions. Also called a prismatic lens, it is designed with perpendicular ribs on one side of the lens.
Specular Reflection: reflection, without diffusion, in accordance with the laws of geometrical optics, as in a mirror.
Starter: an electrical device used in conjunction with a ballast for the purpose of starting an electric discharge lamp like a fluorescent lamp or an HID lamp.
Step Light: a luminaire that is specifically designed to illuminate stairs
Tandem Wiring: a type of electrical wiring that shares one ballast located inside a single fluorescent light fixture with one or more other fluorescent fixtures. This technique is used to reduce the cost of the lighting system, reduce the cost of maintaining the lighting system, and reduce the cost of the electrical energy needed to power the lighting system.
Task Lighting: lighting that is specifically installed to light an area where a task is performed. Under cabinet lighting used in a kitchen is a good example of task lighting.
Terminal Block: a special electrical connector that uses insulating plastic on the outside and metal screws and clamps on the inside to create good splices for electrical wires, especially low voltage electrical wires. The screws inside the terminal block allow the installer to be certain that the electrical connections are very secure and tight, which, in turn, will minimize the possibility of arcing and overheating with low voltage connections.
Three-Way Switch: a wall switch that allows two switches like this to control one lighting system. Whenever you flip one of the three-way switches in a given circuit, the light changes its state; that is, if the light was on, it then turns off and if the light was off, it then turns on.
Torchiere: a tall floor lamp that provides indirect lighting with its light source located within a reflecting bowl that directs the light upward, which then reflects off the ceiling
Translucent: a term that describes a material that transmits some visible light usually with some distortion. A frosted piece of glass, a stained glass window, and paper are all examples of translucent materials.
Transparent: a term that describes a material that transmits most, if not all, of the visible light incident upon it with very little, if any, distortion. A typical glass window pane, the air, and clear plexiglas are all examples of transparent materials
Troffer: a large recessed ceiling luminaire (light fixture) that often uses 1-4 T5, T8, or T12 fluorescent lamps (light bulbs), usually measures 24in by 48in or 24in by 24in, and is usually installed with the opening flush with the ceiling
Uplight: the percentage of lamp lumens directed from a luminaire (light fixture) at or above 90 degrees.
UV: see ultraviolet radiation
Ultraviolet Radiation (UV): a form of electromagnetic radiation that is not visible to the naked human eye and which has a wavelength of less than 400 nanometers (nm) and greater than 100 nm. To learn more about this topic click UV Filters.
Valance Lighting: lighting at or near the top of a window provided by a luminaire that is shielded by an opaque panel parallel to the wall which directs light upward and downward from the luminaire
Vandal Resistant: a special type of light fixture designed to be break-resistant and tamper-resistant. Vandal resistant light fixtures are often made of heavy gauge metal, a strong polycarbonate plastic diffuser, and tamper-proof fasteners that are difficult to unfasten without a special tool. Such light fixtures are often used in public spaces like subway stations, college dormitories, bus terminals, and jails.
Vapor-Tight Luminaire: a totally enclosed light fixture constructed with a special rubber gasket so that a specified vapor (usually water vapor) or gases cannot enter its enclosure
Voltage: the difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts; the electric pressure that exists between two points and is capable of producing a flow of current when a closed circuit is connected between the two points; the rate at which energy is drawn from a source that produces a flow of electricity in a circuit; synonyms: electrical potential, electromotive force, EMF; Formulae: volts = amps x ohms, V = I x R, voltage = electrical current x electrical resistance.
Voltage Drop: the loss of voltage caused by the electrical resistance of the wire and the light fixtures in the circuit. It can become especially noticeable in low voltage circuits (where the operating voltage is 12 or 24 volts). Voltage drop may be minimized by using a thicker wire with a lower gauge, shortening the distance between the low voltage transformer and the light fixtures, and/or using a DC transformer.
Wall Grazing: a lighting term that refers to the dramatic highlight and shadow effects on uneven surfaces such as draperies, stone, and brick. Grazing creates easily distinguishable high and low levels of light on the irregular surface.
Wall Washing: a lighting technique that produces a relatively smooth, even level of illumination on a wall that minimizes the apparent texture of the surface
Wattage: the amount of electrical power consumed by a lamp or light fixture measured in watts. One watt is equal to the power dissipated by 1 ampere of electrical current flowing across a resistance of 1 ohm or the power produced by 1 ampere of electrical current under an electromotive force of 1 volt. One horsepower is equal to 746 watts.
Work Plane: the horizontal plane (a flat surface) on which a visual task (such as reading or writing) is performed. Illumination is designed for this plane, which is normally the height of a standard table (approximately 30 inches from the floor).
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