2005, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (www.ashrae.org).

Reprinted by permission from ASHRAE Journal, (Vol. 47, No. 12, December 2005). This article may not be copied nor distributed in either paper or digital form without ASHRAEs permission.

Choosing the Right Light

New research on lighting (sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy) has concluded that the lumen ratings do not tell the entire story for determining energy efciency. The low color temperature and low color rendering properties of high-pressure sodium lighting actually result in less visually effective lighting. By Brian Liebel, P.E., and James Brodrick, Ph.D., Member ASHRAE Lighting consumes 33% of electricity used in commercial buildings. cents, on the other hand, light instantly at nearly full output as long as they operate within their rated temperature range. Color Characteristics. The color of HID lamps is determined mainly by the mix of the metals and the pressures within the arc tube, unlike uorescent lighting, where the color is mainly determined by the phosphor coating on the outside of the lamps. For interior applications, high-pressure sodium lighting generally is limited to warehouse and industrial applications because of poor color rendering qualities (sodium vapor is yellowish in color). While attempts have been made to improve the color of HPS lamps, the outcome has always sacriced energy efciency of the lamp, and they have had only limited success. Metal halide (MH), on the other hand, is more of a white light source, which provides better lighting for visual acuity and color recognition. Although MH historically has been criticized for color inconsistency and instability over the life of the lamp, recent improvements including pulse start and ceramic arc tube technologies have made these problems all but disappear. The color qualities of some MH lamps now rival uorescent lighting. Energy Efciency. HID lighting increases in efciency as the wattage of the lamp goes higher, i.e., a 1,000 W lamp is more efcient than a 100 W lamp. High pressure sodium lamps are rated as the most efcient light source for commercial applications in efcacy (lumens per watt, or LPW), achieving more than 100 LPW for most lamps. Most metal halide lamps do not achieve this level of efciency until they are 400 W or higher. Ceramic arc tube and pulse start metal halides, however, have increased even the lower wattage lamps to 90 LPW or higher, making them competitive with uorescent lamp efcacies. New research on lighting (sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy) has concluded that the lumen ratings do not tell the entire story for determining energy efciency. The low color temperature and low color rendering properties of highpressure sodium lighting actually result in less visually effective lighting. The new research shows that metal halide light sources are more energy efcient than HPS when considering the visual
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n November, we focused on uorescent lighting, comparing system efciencies for different lamp/ballast combinations. To complete the discussion of energy-efcient options in commercial lighting, we also must consider another class of lampsthe HID class. HID (high intensity discharge) lighting includes three types of lamps: high pressure sodium, metal halide, and mercury vapor. These lamps are all typied by having arc tubes (small vessel, usually cylindrical, withstands high pressures and temperatures, and translucent) lled with metal compounds under high pressure that, when vaporized through an arc stream, emit light. Low-pressure sodium generally is included in the HID class, although it technically is not an HID source since it is operated at low pressure. Of these four lamp types, only high-pressure sodium and metal halide lamps are used in building lighting applications. Mercury vapor is being phased out by lighting manufacturers due to low energy efciencies. Low-pressure sodium has such poor color that it is rarely, if ever, used inside buildings. The Basics To understand the applications for which we might consider HID lighting, it is helpful to review some of the operating characteristics of these light sources and to compare them to the uorescent lamps we discussed in our last column. Starting characteristics. High-pressure sodium (HPS) and metal halide (MH) lamps do not start instantly. They require a warm-up time to start (there are a few rare exceptions for metal halides). From a cold start, the lamps typically icker a few times, then glow at partial brightness, then continually brighten during the next several minutes before they reach full output. If the lamps are turned off and then turned back on, they are in a re-strike mode, which generally takes even longer for them to reach full brightness because they have to cool rst. Fluores122 ASHRAE Journal

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effects of the spectrum of the light source. This new approach to lighting will be explained in next months column. Furthermore, energy efciency of lighting is not based on the lamp alone. To understand the wattage consumption of the lighting system, we have to consider the ballast load. This is where uorescents typically lead over HID systems in the energy-efciency marketplace. HID ballasts are typically magnetic, adding 10% to 30% more consumption to the overall wattage of the systems. Electronic ballasts are relatively new for HID lamps, and are targeted selectively to high-volume selling lamps and lamps targeted to the retail sector. These electronic ballasts are much more efcient. For a 100 W MH lamp, the electronic ballast system wattage is 110 W as compared to 130 W for a magnetically ballasted system, and for a 400 W lamp, the electronic ballast results in 417 W as compared to the typical magnetic ballast load of 450 W. Lumen maintenance. High-pressure sodium lamps match T8 and T5 uorescent lamps in this aspect, maintaining more than 90% of their rated light output throughout their rated life. Metal halides are all over the map on this, depending on the lamp technology and the ballasts used to drive the lamps. Some are below 60%! The best metal halide lamps for lumen maintenance are pulse start or ceramic metal halide lamps using electronic ballasts, which equal uorescent systems with lumen maintenance factors of more than 90%. Effects of ambient temperature. HID lighting typically is not affected by the ambient air temperature, whereas uorescent lighting will have a reduced output if the ambient air temperature around the bulb wall of the lamp is higher or lower than the rated temperature. For warehouse or other unconditioned spaces, this can be a critical factor. Overall efciency is gauged by the light output over the energy input, decreases in uorescent light output due to hot or cold temperatures could make the overall system less efcient than an HID system. Optics. HID lighting has an undisputed advantage over uorescent lamps in its ability to direct light where you want it, simply because that it is a point source. On the other hand, HID lamps are substantially brighter and can be a problematic source of glare. Applications that require the precise aiming ability of HIDs are fairly unique, e.g., outdoor street lighting, oodlighting, and accent lighting. For general lighting, the optical efciency of uorescents, combined with proper reector designs, can equal the efciencies of their HID counterparts, which is why uorescents are used increasingly in industrial applications where HID lighting has been traditionally used.
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When to Use Which Lamp This all-too-brief summary of the operating characteristics of HID and uorescent lamps leads one to question how to choose between HID and uorescent lighting. Its a good question with a fairly simple but unsatisfying answerit depends. The one rule about HID lighting is that there are exceptions to every rule, so we have to begin with the knowledge that there are very specic HID lamps and ballasts that work for some applications, but not for others. Some basic guidelines are: Do not use HPS lamps in interior applications. HPS lighting is less visually effective, has poor color rendering, and results in lower levels of occupant satisfaction. Add to this some of the other general issues of HID lamps, and we nd few reasons supporting the use of these lamps indoors, although they are still well suited to many outdoor lighting applications. Use uorescent lighting where occupancy sensors are used. Fluorescent lighting has the ability to turn on and off instantly, whereas HID lighting has warm-up times associated with them. Where these occupancy sensors are turning lights on and off frequently during the day, use programmed start ballasts for the uorescent lighting rather than instant start ballasts, as this adds about 20% longer life to the lamps. If control exibility is required, uorescent xtures offer better and more cost-effective solutions. Fluorescent xtures can easily be two- or three-level switched, whereas HID xtures typically only have one lamp that is either on or off. Multiple-switched uorescents xtures often are used in lieu of the more costly continuous dimming strategies using HID xtures and dimming ballasts. Be careful in unconditioned spaces. Ambient air temperatures in unconditioned warehouses can easily fall below 52F (11C) and rise above 111F (44C), the points at which T8 lamps have a 20% reduction in light output. Going beyond these extremes one way or another further decreases light output. Furthermore, hot temperatures can have a signicant negative effect on the life of both uorescent and HID electronic ballasts (check the maximum case temperature rating). Metal halide systems usually are the better performers in these applications. Some uorescent xture manufacturers are addressing

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this issue by developing designs that regulate the air temperature within the xture to meet the optimized lamp operating temperature. When using metal halide lamps, always look for the ceramic pulse-start type, and use electronic ballasts if available. These systems provide the highest levels of energy efciency, the best color characteristics, and the best lumen maintenance of all HID lamp/ballast combinations. Use caution. Check with both the lamp and ballast manufacturers to ensure compatibility of all components. These systems generally are more costly than standard metal halide systems. However, they typically pay off in energy savings and the long-term benets associated with better lumen maintenance, color consistency, and increased lamp life. Summary Generally speaking, the comparison of uorescent and metal halide light sources for high-bay and industrial applications requires a careful analysis of the luminaire efciency, lamp/ballast efciency, accompanying controls strategy, ambient air temperature surrounding the lamps, and end-user maintenance capabilities. All these things are weighed differently for each project. For commercial interior applications, the overriding factors are color qualities and on/off control capabilities. Low wattage HID lamps that traditionally have been used for downlights in interior spaces have been replaced with higher wattage compact uorescent lamps, for example. On the other hand, recent improvements in metal halide technologies continue to expand in the accent lighting market. Some of the most exciting changes in lighting during the last ve years have been in the arena of large-scale retail applications using metal halide reector lamps (PAR lamps) to replace incandescent accent light sources, and these trends will become more prevalent as more manufacturers produce products for these lamps at more cost-effective price points. Finally, we must note that many of the products mentioned in this column are changing monthly, making it difcult to generalize about the available products. The largest challenge lighting speciers have is keeping up with the newest technologies, and determining whether the new technologies will be keepers. Will they be around ve years from now? The best approach to answer this question is to determine which manufacturers are making the products, be it a lamp, ballast, or lighting xture. Look for products that are being manufactured by more than one company and always ask competitors for their viewpoints. Although criticisms and conicting viewpoints exist, a good product is best determined by the level to which it is duplicated. Brian Liebel, P.E., is principal of AfterImage + Space in Emeryville, Calif. He is a member of IESNA. James Brodrick, Ph.D., is a project manager, Building Technologies Program, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C.

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