Types of Lighting
AMBIENT LIGHTING
Ambient light means the light that is already present in a scene, before any
additional lighting is added. It usually refers to natural light, either outdoors or coming
through windows etc. It can also mean artificial lights such as normal room lights .
Ambient lighting, or what is commonly called as general lighting, serves as the primary
source of light for a certain room.
It is the foundation of all the lighting of a room. Aside from the basic lighting
functionality, the ambient lighting improves the sense of warmth and depth of a room or
space.
It works to provide a comfortable level of illumination without too much glare. This allows
you to navigate an entire room safely too.
A central source of it for every room is essential to achieve an excellent lighting plan. A
perfect source needs a strategy in choosing which lights to use and in what area or part of
the room to place it.
Ambient lighting can be accomplished by using basic lighting fixtures such as chandeliers,
track lights, recessed lights, and wall or ceiling-mounted lighting fixtures.
CHOOSING AMBIENT LIGHTING
In choosing the location for installation, the first thing needed to do is evaluate a certain
room when it is dark.
Note the areas that need to be accented. These spaces often include pathways, reading
areas, fireplaces, coffee tables, bookshelves, seating areas, and plants.
1/1/2019 Ar.Swarupa Borde 2
Ambient light
Balance is important in choosing the location for ambient lighting
The best way to achieve balance in this type of lighting is illuminating a certain area
probably at the front space and putting a table lamp at the back corner of the room
Accent lighting focuses light on a particular area or object . It is often used to highlight art
or other artifacts. Common types of accent lights include wall sconces, floodlights,
recessed lights, or track lighting.
The brighter light from the accent lamp creates visual interest to a room. Accent lights may
also be used to shine light on a stairway, or as in movie theaters, light a walkway.
Some accent lights aren't made to shine on a particular object, but are themselves a piece
of art with a self-contained light source.
Accent lights can also be used outdoors as guides for pathways or to spotlight garden art.
Accent lighting requires at least three times as much light on the focal point as the general
lighting around it. This usually is provided by track, under cabinet , tape, or wall-mounted
Fixtures.
Flood light Track light Wall sconce
Task lighting refers to increasing illuminance to better accomplish a specific activity.
However, the illuminance level is not the only factor governing visibility.
The most important purpose of task lighting in the office is not increasing illuminance ,
but improving contrast. General lighting can be reduced because task lighting provides
focused light where needed.
Different strategies for task lighting exist. The three main approaches are:
Localized average lighting, where a lamp supplies both ambient light and task light
Freely adjustable task light such as a gooseneck, balanced-arm lamp, or swing-arm light.
Asymmetric task light, where the lamp is placed at the side of the work area
Mood lighting is igniting or illumination, designed to create a temporary state of mind or
feeling.
Types of mood lighting
Mood lighting can come in several variations ranging from ambient, natural, or
artificial lighting.
An incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe is an electric
light with a wire filament heated to such a high temperature that it glows with visible light
(incandescence).
The filament is protected from oxidation with a glass or fused quartz bulb that is filled
with inert gas or a vacuum.
In a halogen lamp, filament evaporation is slowed by a chemical process that re deposits
metal vapor onto the filament, thereby extending its life.
Incandescent lamps are often considered the least energy efficient type of electric
lighting commonly found in residential buildings. Although inefficient, incandescent lamps
possess a number of key advantages—
they are inexpensive to buy, turn on instantly, are available in a huge array of sizes and
shapes and provide a pleasant, warm light with excellent color rendition.
However, because of their relative inefficiency and short life spans, they are more expensive
to operate than newer lighting types such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light-
emitting diodes (LEDs).
A fluorescent lamp, or fluorescent tube, is a low-pressure mercury-vapor gas-discharge
lamp that uses fluorescence to produce visible light.
An electric current in the gas excites mercury vapor, which produces short-
wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor coating on the inside of the lamp
to glow. A fluorescent lamp converts electrical energy into useful light much more
efficiently than incandescent lamps.
The typical luminous efficacy of fluorescent lighting systems is 50–100 lumens per watt,
several times the efficacy of incandescent bulbs with comparable light output.
Fluorescent lamp fixtures are more costly than incandescent lamps because they require
a ballast to regulate the current through the lamp, but the lower energy cost typically
offsets the higher initial cost.
Compact fluorescent lamps are now available in the same popular sizes as incandescent
and are used as an energy-saving alternative in homes.
A fluorescent lamp, or fluorescent tube, is a low-pressure mercury-vapor gas-discharge
lamp that uses fluorescence to produce visible light.
An electric current in the gas excites mercury vapor, which produces short-
wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor coating on the inside of the lamp
to glow.
A fluorescent lamp converts electrical energy into useful light much more efficiently
than incandescent lamps. The typical luminous efficacy of fluorescent lighting systems is
50–100 lumens per watt, several times the efficacy of incandescent bulbs with
comparable light output.
Fluorescent lamp fixtures are more costly than incandescent lamps because they require
a ballast to regulate the current through the lamp, but the lower energy cost typically
offsets the higher initial cost.
Definition of LED bulbs
LED bulbs also referred to as “Light Emitting Diode” light bulb, is the most energy
efficient lighting devices invented till now. These bulbs consume very less energy as
compared to other light sources.
These energy efficient devices are becoming very popular in different areas,
including aviation, traffic signals, mining industry, lifts and much more.
It does not contain mercury like CFL bulbs do, but contains other harmful
components like lead and nickel. The most notable feature of LED bulbs is that they
can be recycled.
Key Differences Between LED and CFL Bulbs
The LED bulb stands for Light Emitting Diode, and CFL stands for Compact Fluorescent
Light.
LED bulbs are more energy efficient than CFLs.
The LED bulb consumes less electricity than its counterpart CFL 75% a year in energy
cost.
The life of a LED bulb is usually up to 50000 hours or more while the life of a CFL bulb is
up to 8000 hours.
The LED bulb is expensive than a CFL bulb.
The primary difference between them is LED bulbs are durable and long lasting as
compared to the CFLs.
The size of LED bulb is usually smaller than a CFL bulb.
The LED bulb, when lighten up remains cool, whereas the CFL bulb gets heated up quickly.
Similarities BASIS FOR
LED BULBS CFL BULBS
COMPARISON
Consume less electricity.
Stands for Light Emitting Compact
Priced higher than a traditional incandescent Diode bulbs Fluorescent light
bulb. bulbs
Cost efficient. Efficiency High Comparatively less
Longevity
Electricity used 6-8 watts 13-15 watts
Efficiency (equal to 60 watt
bulb)
Saving Up to 80% a year Up to 75% a year
in energy costs in energy costs
Life (in hours) 50000 hours 8000 hours
Cost High Comparatively less
Durability Highly Durable Fragile i.e. glass
can be broken
easily
Size Small Large
Heat It remains cool It gets heated up
quickly
Luminance
Luminance describes the measurement of the amount of light emitting, passing
through or reflected from a particular surface from a solid angle.
It also indicates how much luminous power can be perceived by the human eye. This
means that luminance indicates the brightness of light emitted or reflected off of a
surface. In the display industry, luminance is used to quantify the brightness of
displays.
There are a variety of units used for luminance.
The SI unit for luminance is candela/square meter (cd/m2). Professionals in the industry
will be familiar with the term nit (nt). Nit is a non SI term used for luminance, and 1 nit
is equivalent to 1 cd/m2.
A solid angle, ω, made up of all the lines
from a closed curve meeting at a vertex.
Illuminance
Illuminance is a term that describes the measurement of the amount of light falling onto
(illuminating) and spreading over a given surface area.
Illuminance also correlates with how humans perceive the brightness of an illuminated
area. As a result, most people use the terms illuminance and brightness interchangeably
which leads to confusion, as brightness can also be used to describe luminance.
To clarify the difference, illuminance refers to a specific kind of light measurement, while
brightness refers to the visual perceptions and physiological sensations of light. Brightness
is not a term used for quantitative purposes at all.
The SI unit for illuminance is lux (lx). In the U.S. people sometimes use the non SI term foot-
candle when referencing illuminance. The term "foot-candle" means "the illuminance on a
surface by a candela source one foot away". One foot-candle is equivalent to one lumen
per square foot which is approximately 10.764 lux
