Basic Concepts of Lighting Design | Electrical Engineer | MEP Design |
Lighting system design is a very important aspect of construction projects, and the best performance is achieved when lighting is specified through detailed calculations and not “rules of thumb”. However, lighting has a key difference with other building systems like HVAC and plumbing: there is a subjective and artistic factor involved. Lighting systems must provide adequate visibility, but they also set the ambiance of built environments. Effective communication is important in any engineering design process, and this is only possible if the parties involved are familiarized with key technical concepts. This article will provide an overview of the main terms used when specifying lighting systems.
Lighting system design is a very important aspect of construction projects, and the best performance is achieved when lighting is specified through detailed calculations and not “rules of thumb”. However, lighting has a key difference with other building systems like HVAC and plumbing: there is a subjective and artistic factor involved. Lighting systems must provide adequate visibility, but they also set the ambiance of built environments.
Effective communication is important in any engineering design process, and this is only possible if the parties involved are familiarized with key technical concepts. This article will provide an overview of the main terms used when specifying lighting systems.
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Effect <strong>of</strong> the Light Source on Objects<br />
and Surfaces<br />
Even if two light sources have the same CCT value, their lighting quality<br />
may differ. A CRI value <strong>of</strong> 100 means the light source is a good as<br />
sunlight.<br />
Despite their inefficiency, incandescent and halogen bulbs <strong>of</strong>fer a CRI <strong>of</strong><br />
100.<br />
Fluorescent bulbs tend to have the lowest colour rendering performance,<br />
and low-tier products can go below 70.<br />
CRI values for LED bulbs can vary significantly depending on product<br />
quality. Low-end products go below 70, while high-performance products<br />
reach values close to 100.<br />
The minimum CRI for a light bulb to get the ENERGY STAR label is 80.
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