What is average life?

Average Life is the rated average life that is obtained in closely controlled laboratory conditions of lamps at their design voltage. It is the life point where 50% of the test group are still functioning. Average Life is not the same as service life; shocks, vibration, voltage fluctuations, temperature and other environmental influences may result in a shorter service life.

What does active power mean?

Active power is the system input power (in watts) for a lamp-ballast combination.

What is efficacy?

The ratio of light output (in lumens) to input power (in watts) expressed as lumens per watt(LPW).

What is an A-lamp?

The incandescent lamp most commonly used in North American households. The "A" designation refers to the lamp's bulbous shape.

What is a ballast?

A device required by electric-discharge light sources such as fluorescent or HID lamps to regulate voltage and current supplied to the lamp during start and throughout operation.

What is bilevel switching?

Control of light source intensity at two discrete levels in addition to off.

What does CRI stand for?

CRI is color rendering index, a measure of the degree of color shift that objects undergo when illuminated by the light source as compared with those same objects when illuminated by a reference source of comparable correlated color temperature. The maximum CRI is 100.

What does CFL stand for?

CFL is a compact fluorescent lamp, a family of single-ended fluorescent discharge light sources with small diameter [16 millimeter (5/8 inch) or less] tubes.

What does continuous dimming mean?

Control of a light source's intensity without abrupt transitions.

What are amps (watts)?

Amps (watts) is the current rating at design voltage or the power consumption in watts of he lamp. In the case of dual-filament lamps, the values for each filament are given.

What are ANSI Lamp Codes?

ANSI Lamp Codes are codes designated by the American National Standards Institute. These codes provide for uniform mechanical, electrical and performance characteristics for like coded lamps from different manufacturers. Some lamp codes have multiple ANSI coding such as BMG/BMH or CEA/CEB/CDK. In such cases, the first code designates the ANSI code for the lamp. The second and third code sets designate codes that the first code directly replaces. For these lamps with multiple coding, only the first code is marked on the lamp.

What is the advantage of a halogen lamp?

A halogen lamp is an incandescent lamp that uses a halogen fill gas. Halogen lamps have higher rated efficacies and longer lives than standard incandescent A-lamps. This report discusses only tubular lamps which are different from halogen replacements for incandescent A-lamps.

What does illuminance mean?

The density of luminous flux incident upon a surface. Illuminance is measured in footcandles (lumens/square meter). One footcandle equals 10.76 lux.

What is indirect lighting?

Light arriving at a surface after reflecting from one or more surfaces (usually walls and/or ceilings) that are not part of the luminaire.

What is a lamp?

A radiant light source that emits light.

What is lamp life?

The number of hours at which half of a large group of lamps produces light. A lamp's lumen output rating expresses the total amount of light the lamp emits in all directions per unit time.

What is a luminaire?

A complete lighting unit consisting of a lamp or lamps and the parts designed to distribute the light, to position and protect the lamps, and to connect the lamps to the power supply.

What is a metal halide lamp?

A high-density discharge (HID) lamp that uses mercury and several halide additives as light-producing elements.

What is trilevel switching?

Control of light source intensity at three discrete levels in addition to off.

What is direct lighting?

Light emitted by a luminaire in the general direction of the task lamp to be illuminated. The term usually refers to light emitted in a downward direction.

What is a lumen?

A unit measurement of the rate at which a lamp produces light. A lamp's lumen output expresses the total amount of light the lamp emits in all directions per unit time.

What does approximate initial lumens mean?

Approximate initial lumens is the lumen output of the lamp after 100 hours of operation under standardized laboratory conditions.

What is approximate initial maximum beam candlepower?

Approximate initial maximum beam candlepower is the approximate light output measured at the point where the beam intensity is at it’s highest. In the case of dual beam lamps (Hi/Lo) the values of both beams are listed.

What is approximate mean lumens?

Approximate mean lumens is the lumen output of the lamp at 40 percent of the rated average life under standardized laboratory conditions. For High Pressure Sodium and Mercury Lamps, the specification is at 50 percent of the rated average life.

What is MSCP?

Approximate Mean Spherical Candlepower (MSCP) is the initial MSCP at the design voltage. This is the generally accepted method of rating the total light output of miniature lamps. To convert this rating to lumens, multiply it by 12.57 (4pi).

What is a base?

The base is the part of a lamp that provides electrical contact to the lamp and, in most cases, also supports the lamp in the fixture.

What is a bulb?

The bulb is the glass portion of the lamp. The inside of the bulb contains the filament and is either vacuum or gas-filled. The bulb is designated by a combination of letters and numbers where the letter indicates the shape of the bulb and the number indicates the approximate diameter of the bulb in eighths of an inch. The number in some bulb designations may be in milimeters (mm).