Commercial Lighting Glossary
A glossary of commercial lighting terms can empower you to make well-informed decisions, create efficient lighting solutions, and stay abreast of the ever-changing lighting landscape, benefiting both businesses and individuals in the industry. Below is a glossary of terms related to outside commercial lighting:
Luminaire
A complete lighting unit, typically consisting of a lamp or light source, optical components (such as reflectors or lenses), and a housing that protects the internal components from the environment.
CCT (Correlated Color Temperature)
CCT is a measurement of the color appearance of light emitted by a light source, measured in Kelvin (K). Lower CCT values (e.g., 2700K) indicate warm or yellowish light, while higher CCT values (e.g., 5000K) indicate cooler or bluish light.
Luminous Efficacy
Luminous Efficacy is the measure of how efficiently a light source produces visible light, expressed as lumens per watt (lm/W). A higher efficacy indicates greater energy efficiency.
Luminous Flux
Luminous Flux is the total amount of light emitted by a light source, measured in lumens (lm). It indicates the brightness of the light source.
LED (Light Emitting Diode)
A semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. LED lighting is energy-efficient and commonly used in commercial outdoor lighting applications.
Fixture
The Fixture is the housing or casing that holds the light source (lamp or LED) and related components in an outdoor lighting system.
Glare: The discomfort or visual impairment caused by excessive brightness or a significant contrast in brightness within the visual field. Good outdoor lighting design minimizes glare to ensure safe and comfortable visibility.
Photocell: A device that detects ambient light levels and automatically turns outdoor lighting on at dusk and off at dawn. It helps save energy by preventing lights from staying on during daylight hours.
Motion Sensor: A device that detects movement and triggers the outdoor lights to turn on when someone or something moves within its sensing range. It enhances security and saves energy by activating lights only when needed.
Dusk-to-Dawn Lighting: Outdoor lighting fixtures equipped with photocells that automatically turn on at dusk and turn off at dawn.
Cutoff Fixture: A luminaire designed to minimize light pollution and glare by directing light downward and reducing upward light spill.
Full-Cutoff Fixture: An outdoor light fixture with zero upward light emission, fully directing light downward. It provides optimal light control and is commonly used in Dark-Sky-friendly installations.
IP Rating (Ingress Protection
Pole Height
Pole Height is the height of the lighting pole, which affects the distribution and coverage of light in the outdoor area.
Lighting Uniformity
Uniformity is the evenness of lighting on a surface. Good outdoor lighting design aims for uniform light distribution to avoid overly bright or dark spots.
Wattage
Wattage is the amount of power consumed by a light source, measured in watts (W).
These terms should provide a helpful reference for understanding and discussing various aspects of outdoor and indoor commercial lighting systems. In planning your own lighting project it’s important to choose the best in commercial-grade products and experienced installation services from professionals like Nevada Illumination. Please contact us below or via email at [email protected]
