There are many options and aspects to consider when lighting an interior space. Lighting can set the mood for a room, contribute to the ambiance, but also has big implications on your energy bill. Edison may have invented the standard light bulb in the late 1870s, but variants of that version, which have been used ever since, use greater amounts of electricity, and also give off heat, making cooling costs more expensive.
Today, energy efficient alternatives exist, and playing a big part in interior lighting design. Compact fluorescent bulbs may have been around for decades, but there usage in today’s homes and businesses are still relatively new. The modern CFL bulb was invented by a General Electric engineer as a response to the 1973 oil crises, but because mass producing the bulbs would be extremely pricey, the invention was shelved until it was leaked and copied by others. Today, these bulbs are an affordable, green alternative to the less-than-efficient incandescent bulbs. They consume 50 to 80 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer while producing 75 percent less heat. A 60-watt incandescent bulb can produce the same amount of light as a 13-watt CFL.
A 150-watt incandescent will provide the exact same level of illumination as a 30-watt CFL—and also give off less heat. Replacing just one incandescent bulb with a CFL will also remove a half ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over the life of the bulb. Light-emitting diodes, or LED lights, have also grown in popularity. LED bulbs last 10 times longer than compact fluorescents and 133 times longer than incandescent lights. These bulbs are more durable, do not cause heat to build up, and use a fraction of the wattage. These bulbs may be more expensive, but because they last so long, they can significantly reduce maintenance and replacement costs. But interior lighting involves more than just light bulbs.
Schedule-based lighting systems on censors are a great way for large spaces such as manufacturing plants and public municipal buildings areas to achieve lighting efficiency. Another popular way to regulate lighting is to use Web-enabled systems, which offer a high level of convenience to users. Occupancy-based sensors are helpful in spaces like individual offices, restrooms and break rooms where it’s unpredictable when someone will be in the room, because they trigger lights on or off when someone enters or leaves the room. Interior lighting is a key component to achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, especially when applying for certification through the retrofit of an existing building. An important part of a lighting fixture is the ballast.
Electrical ballasts control and limit the amount of current that runs through the lamps. The part works much like a resistor, diverting some of the energy from the source to a suitable level so as not to cause a power failure. The filament of an incandescent bulb also acts much like a resistor. It allows an electrical current to run through it, but not enough to allow for the full amount. Instead, the filament captures the power, which causes the particles in the filament to get excited and give off heat. In that excited stage, the particles also give off light.
Electronic ballasts allow for proper starting and control of fixtures. The ballasts change the power frequency from 60 Hz to 20,000 Hz. The strobe effect in fluorescent lights is caused when the frequency does not reach the full amount. The ballast is more efficient at retaining the power than resistors. Programmed-start ballasts are low starting because they heat the fixture first and then allow for the cathode to heat after, prolonging the lifespan of lamp. That is why it takes compact fluorescents some time to reach full luminosity.
Light fixtures complete the system of a lamp, ballast and reflector. The fixture holds the ballast and lamp. There are a number of different light fixtures to accommodate large rooms to accents to guides. Each fixture is designed to expand and direct light.
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