Types of Lights
Key Terms:
Watt (abbreviated W) is the unit corresponding to
the rate of energy consumption (or power) in an
electric circuit needed in this case to light a light
bulb.
Lumens are the unit describing the amount of light
(energy) as seen by the human eye that is given off
by the light bulb.
Lux is defined as being equivalent to one lumen
spread over an area of one square meter. To put it
another way, a measurement of lux (light intensity)
tells you how many lumens are needed for the area
being illuminated.
Efficiency is the amount of light that comes out of a
light bulb compared to the electrical energy that
goes into it. Energy efficient bulbs waste less energy
in producing light than less efficient bulbs. Efficiency
is an output over an input.
Incandescent Bulbs:
The incandescent light bulb has had
the same design for over 100 years
since Thomas Edison invented it! It
produces light when a thin wire
called a tungsten filament is heated
by electricity running through it
making it so hot that it starts to glow
brightly. This releases a lot of heat
and the bulbs get hot to the touch,
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL):
These spiraled light bulbs are far more
efficient than the standard incandescent
bulb. Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs
(CFLs) work by running electricity
through gas inside the coils, exciting that
gas, and producing light. There is a
coating on the spirals, which makes this
light white. These bulbs do not get
nearly as hot as the incandescent bulbs.
Light Emitting Diode (LED):
‘Light Emitting Diode’, a semiconductor
device that converts electricity into
light. LED lights are super energy
efficient, using approximately 85% less
energy than halogen or incandescent
lighting LED lights also have a much
longer lifespan than other types of
lighting
Outdoor Lighting
Halogen Bulbs:
Halogen Bulbs:
Halogen bulbs are often found in homes as spotlights or
floodlights, in cars as headlights, or at sports fields as
stadium lights. These bulbs work in a similar way to an
incandescent bulb by running electricity through a tungsten
filament. Unlike the incandescent, there is halogen gas
inside the bulb. When the tungsten burns off the filament,
the gas re-deposits it back onto the filament to be reused.
Halogen bulbs last much longer than incandescent, but
these bulbs are much brighter and burn much hotter than
traditional incandescent bulbs.
HID Lights - MH - HPS - MV
High-intensity discharge lamps (HID lamps) are a type
of electrical gas-discharge lamp which produces light by
means of an electric
arc between tungsten electrodes housed inside a translucent
or transparent fused quartz or fused alumina arc tube.
Metal Halide:
Metal Halide:
Metal halide lamps are commonly used in
streetlights, parking lot lights, and stadium
lights. They are very bright and contribute
to a lot of light pollution. They are fairly
efficient. They produce very white light and
have good color rendition, meaning that
objects under these lights look their true
color.
High Pressure Sodium (HPS):
High Pressure Sodium (HPS):
The high pressure sodium lamp (HPS) is the most
commonly used street light throughout the world. It
produces light by running electricity through a
mixture of gases, which produces light. The lamp
itself is preferred because it requires little
maintenance. These lamps are fairly efficient.
They take a while to turn on completely and
produce a yellow-orange glow.
Low Pressure Sodium (LPS):
Low Pressure Sodium (LPS):
The low pressure sodium (LPS) lamp works
similarly to the HPS light. Instead of producing
white light (all the colors of the rainbow), LPS
lamps produce almost exclusively yellow light.
While this light is fairly efficient, it takes several
minutes for the bulb to turn on. The light is very
yellow-orange. This yellow light makes objects it is
illuminating look a different color or gray
LED Street Lamps:
LED Street Lamps:
LED technologies have developed rapidly in
recent years and these bulbs are now being
integrated into outdoor lighting solutions. While
the energy savings are significant, LEDs
produce a lot of blue light, too much of which
can have negative effects on human health and
wildlife.
