WHAT ARE THE

DIFFERENTIATING
CHARACTERISTICS OF
INCANDESCENT,
FLUORESCENT, AND
HIGH-INTENSITY
DISCHARGE (HID)
LAMPS?
LIGHT SOURCE
Incandescent lamps:
• Appear "warm" in color and have
excellent color rendering.
• Are the least efficient of general
lamp types due to the amount of
energy consumed heating the
filament in order for the lamp to turn
incandescent.
• Have a short lamp life of between
500 and 3,000 hours.
• Are easy to install because no ballast
is required.
Fluorescent lamps:
• Are available in a complete
range of color combinations.
• Produce low heat.
• Require a more extensive
installation because ballasts
are a necessary part of the
fixture.
• Have an extremely long life of
up to 24,000 hours.
• Due to smaller sizes and screw
base features, fluorescent can
replace incandescent lamps.
These four lamps vary in diameter (ranging from 1.5 inches to 0.625 or five-eighths of an inch in
diameter). Efficacy is another area that distinguishes one from another. T8 lamps offer a 5-percent

increase in efficacy over 34-watt T12 lamps, and have become the most popular choice for new
installations. Choosing Light Sources for General Lighting, published in 1998 by the Illuminating
Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), New York City, states that although they are available in
lengths similar to the T12, T8s require a different ballast. For retrofit, the T10 is compatible with

T12 ballasts. The T10 also uses a higher-efficiency phosphor and has a greater efficacy than the
T12. T5s are straight tube lamps with a high efficacy. Due to their unique sizes (available only in
"metric" lengths) and special ballast requirements, the T5 is a favorable choice for retrofits for VHO
fixtures.

Efficacy - the ratio of light output (lumens) to input power (watts) expressed in lumens per watt (LPW).
Overall effectiveness.
High-intensity discharge (HID)
lamps:
• Are ideal for large stores,
warehouses, auditoriums,
outdoor parking areas, and
applications where efficiency is
a priority.
• Have a warm-up period, which
results in slower start-up.
• Deliver a large amount of light
over a wide area.
• Have a long life of between
5,000 and 24,000 hours.
• Require ballasts.
 INCANDESCENT LAMPS FLUORESCENT HIGH INTENSITY
LAMPS DISCHARGE LAMP

500- 3,000 HOURS 24,000 HOURS 5,000 – 24,000 HOURS

LIFESPAN 21 – 125 DAYS 1,000 DAYS 208 – 1000 DAYS

NO BALLAST REQUIRE REQUIRE BALLAST

MATERIAL BALLAST

EASY INSTALLATION DIFFICULT TO DIFFICULT TO INSTALL

INSTALLATION INSTALL

INEFFICIENT EFFICIENT EFFICIENT

EFFICIENCY
AVAILABLE IN WARM AVAILABLE IN ------
COLORS COLORS COMPLETE
RANGE OF
COLORS
Ballast Efficiency Factor -The ballast efficiency factor (BEF)
is the ballast factor divided by the input power of the ballast.
The higher the BEF - within the same lamp-ballast type - the
more efficient the ballast.

Lamps operated by a ballast with BF of 0.90 will provide 90

percent of their rated light output (lumens). BFs between
0.85 and 1.0 are the most common.
Why is a lamp's CRI or CCT important?

CRI (COLOR RENDERING INDEX)

a method for describing the effect of a light
source on the color appearance of objects being illuminated,
with a CRI of 100 representing the reference condition (and the
maximum CRI possible). In general, a lower CRI indicates that some
colors may appear unnatural when illuminated by a lamp.

CCT (CORRELATED COLOR TEMPERATURE)

a description of the color appearance of a light source in terms of

warmth or coolness, as measured on the Kelvin scale (K).

As the temperature rises, the color appearance shifts from yellow to blue.
Thus, lamps with a low CCT (3000K or less) have a yellow-white color
appearance and are described as "warm"; lamps with a high CCT (4000K
and higher) have a blue-white color appearance and are described as
"cool".
 CRI
The closer the CRI of a lamp is to 100, the
more "true" it renders colors in the
environment. For individuals, such as
graphic artists who perform tasks that
require color precision or discrimination,
lamps with a high CRI are recommended.
CCT
Warm and inviting are some of the words
used to describe environments that contain
lamps with a Correlated Color Temperature
(CCT) of 3000K. Coffee shops, restaurants,
and hotel lobbies are a few applications in
which cozy lighting environments are
desirable. Hospitals, cafeterias, classrooms,
and conference rooms are areas where an
image of neatness is important. Lamps that
appear cool - measuring a CCT of 4100K - are
most appropriate for these types of
applications. By comparison, daylight
measures 5000K, and neutral lamps have a
CCT of 3500K.
 CRI (98+) CCT (3000k)

High CRI Lighting for Improved Ergonomics and Wellbeing CCT (4100k)