Lighting fundamentals

About light and photometrics

• Generation of light
• Human vision
• Black body
• Colour
• Basic principles of lighting
• Light sources
Light

Vision

Colour
 What is light?

• Light is electromagnetic radiation

and
• The human eye is sensible to this radiation
 Light generation
E
E  E2  E1  h  f  f 
h
E2 = energy associated with the
excited orbit
E1 = energy associated with the
normal orbit
h = Planck's constant
f = frequency of the emitted
radiation as the electron
moves from level 2 to level 1

nv λ=wavelength of radiation

 n=index of refraction of the medium
f
The spectrum of the electromagnetic
radiation
Visible radiation and neighbours
The spectrum of light
Human vision
The human field of view
 How light excites the eye?

Through sensors in the retina

Two types of sensors:

• Cones (6-7 millions per eye)
• Rods (around 120 millions per eye)
Photoreceptors
The visual system
Location of cones and rods
• Cones: Mainly around
the central area of
the retina (fovea)
• Rods: Towards the
periphery of the
retina (max at ±20o)
Distribution of cones and rods
 Cones
• Axial vision (±5o=10o visual field)
• Less sensitive than rods
• Their sensitivity decreases at low light levels
• Photopic vision (daylight, illuminated areas)
• Responsible for colour recognition
• Highest sensitivity at 555 nm
 Rods
• Peripheral vision & motion detection
• 1000 times more sensitive than cones
• They function under low light levels (dark
adapted)
• Scotopic vision (night vision)
• No colour recognition (at night we see in shades
of grey!)
• Highest sensitivity at 507 nm
 3 types of cones
Each one sensitive to 1 of the 3 basic colours: Red, Green, Blue
Colour recognition
Photopic and scotopic vision
Photopic vision
Scotopic vision
Mesopic vision
Colours in the visible spectrum
The colour chart of CIE
(Commission Internationale de l’ Eclairage)
Measurement of colours
The colour of some light sources
The limits of visible radiation

Ultraviolet (UV)
Visible light
Infrared (IR)
Ultraviolet
Infrared
 Colour of light sources
• How do we measure the colour of light
sources?
– Comparing the colour of the light of the source
with the colour of the radiation of a “black body”
(Planckian radiator, black body of Max Planck)
 The black body

– Theoretical
– Definitely not only black in colour
– A black painted body absorbs only the visible light
(but not UV, IR, X-rays etc)
– The black body (Planckian radiator) absorbs ALL
radiations
 How the black body works?
• It is characterized by 2 physical quantities:
Temperature and wavelength of radiation
• It absorbs an external radiation (any
radiation). This increases its temperature
– External radiation  Absorption  Temperature rise
• It radiates. The wavelength of its radiation
depends on its temperature
– Black body radiation ~ Black body temperature
Black body radiation, Law of Max Planck, Nobel
award 1918
Pλ Watts of black body radiation/m2
of black body surface/m of
wavelength
h Planck’s constant (6,626·10-34 J·s)
c Speed of light (2,99792·108 m/s)
k Boltzman’s constant (1,38·10-23
J/K)
λ Wavelength (m)
t Temperature of black body (Κ)
 Wien’s law of displacement
λmax·Temperature=Constant

If the temperature of
the black body rises,
then the peak of the
spectrum moves
towards the lower
wavelengths
The displacement of the peak wavelength
Some “visible” black body radiations
Black body fits the spectrum of
incandescent lamps
…. and solar irradiance too
Solar light, in and out the atmosphere

Photometry Lab
 Colour temperature
• Colour temperature is a measure for
describing the colour of light sources
• It indicates the equivalent temperature that a
black body would need to have in order to
produce light of the same colour
• Thus, we express the colour of a light source
with the temperature (in Kelvins) of the
respective black body
Colour temperature of various light sources
Light colour of 3 fluorescent lamps
 Colour temperature vs. black body temperature

 Low colour temperature (“cold” black body)

indicates warm light colour  Confusion!
“Warm” and “cool” sky
A cold and a warm fluorescent lamp

Cold
6.500K

Warm
3.000K
Identification of colour temperature
on the label of a lamp

2.700Κ

6.500Κ
Influence of light colour on human beings
 Definition of colour quality
 The colour quality of a light source is
expressed by a value between 0 and 100
known as Colour Rendering Index (CRI) or Ra
 Test strips are illuminated from the light
source and the reflected light is measured.
 CRI is the effective sum of the reflected light.
 Determination of CRI/Ra

Colour targets

Spectra of targets
Spectra of targets
An example: Measurement of CRI/Ra of
some LED lamps
 Light of 3 lamps

T= 4200K T= 1800K T= 6400K

Ra=90 Ra=8 Ra=20
Colour rendering groups
Identification of CRI (or Ra) and colour
temperature on lamps
An example
Photometrics
 What is light?
• Light is a radiation that is detected by the eye
• Therefore, the generation of light depends on:
– the power P(λ) of the radiation
and
– the spectral sensitivity V(λ) of the eye

780nm

 P( )  V ( )  d
380nm
 Luminous flux
The measure of the quantity of light is called
luminous flux and is defined as:
780nm
  Km  P
380nm
(  )  V (  )  d

Φ is measured in lumen (abbreviation: lm)

P(λ) in Watt
Km=683lumen/Watt
 Determination
Radiation P(λ)
of luminous flux
Eye sensitivity V(λ)
 

Luminous flux
Luminous flux of typical lamps
 Lamp efficacy:
Produced lumens per Watt of consumed power
 How do we measure light?
• The light source is treated as a
point
• Let’s imagine that point source
emitting light to all directions
• The light to each direction is
emitted from the point source in
a virtual cone
• This cone is called “solid angle”
 Solid angle
• The light from the –point- source is emitted in
solid angles
• Solid angle is the 3-dimensional equivalent of
a 2-dimensional angle
 Definition of solid angle
Given a sphere of radius r, a cone that subtends
an area A encloses a solid angle Ω

Unit: Steradian
Abbreviation: sr
 Plane and solid andles
Plane angle Solid angle
 

The solid angle Ω is produced

by rotating the plane angle γ 
Solid angles of some objects
 Luminous intensity

Luminous intensity I
is the amount of
luminous flux dΦ
(lumens) per unit
solid angles dΩ
(steradians)

d
I
d
 Definition of luminous intensity
• Luminous intensity describes the power of the light
source to emit light in a given direction
• It is the fraction of the luminous flux of the source
that is emitted into a certain direction, into a certain
solid angle
d
I
d

1lumen
1candela 
1steradian
Luminous intensity of some typical light
sources
 Distribution of luminous intensity
The
principle Polar
 diagram


Cartesian
diagram

Polar distributions
 CIE* C-planes
* Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage
 CIE C-planes

C 270
C 180 C0
C 180 C0

C 90

C 270 C 90
Some examples
 Definition of illuminance
d
 Illuminance is the luminous flux E
dA
density on the illuminated surface
 Unit: lux (lx) 1lux 
1lumen
1m 2
Some typical illuminances
Illuminance requirements according to the
European Norm ΕΝ 12464-1
Illuminance range of human vision
The acuity of vision is not increased after a
certain illuminance level

For common duties our visual perception is not

improved at more than 3000 lux
 Illuminance meters(Luxmeters)

 Portable

• General use

• More accurate with

mili Lux resolution

 Benchtop for laboratories

A benchtop luxmeter of high accuracy
Isolux diagrams
 Pseudo-colour Isolux diagram
of road illumination
8 12 16

10 14 18
-4
-2
0

A A
2
X(m )
4

A
6
8
10

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34
Y (m)
An example from a lighting design
Another example of indoor illumination
Pseudo-colours correspond
to illuminance values
 Luminance
 Luminance L is defined as the luminous
intensity I in a specific direction of a
light source or of a surface that reflects I
light, divided by the projected area A as L
viewed from that direction A
 Unit: candela/m2 (cd/m2)
Luminance of some light sources

Luminances in candela/m2 (cd/m2)

 Luminance meters
 Simple portable

 Spot luminance
meter with
viewfinder

 Luminance camera
Illuminance is proportional to the inverse
of the distance squared

E2 d12
 2
E1 d 2
Illuminance is proportional to the cosine of
the angle of incidence

E2  E1  cos 

The same flux is spread over a larger area

The cosine law
I
E1  Vertical radiation
d2

E2: Light falls obliquely

E2  E1  cos  Cosine law

I
E 2  2  cos 
d
 The cone diagram

Height of luminaire
Beam diameter
from illuminated
surface

Average illuminance
 The beam angle
Beam angle: The angle at which the lighting
intensity takes 50% of the maximum intensity
 Cone diagram
of a narrow beam spot luminaire
 Cone diagram
of a wide beam spot luminaire
Cone diagram
of a LED spot
 Cone diagram
of a fluorescent tube luminaire
Glare – The Söllner diagram
Explanation of Söllner diagram
Glare category classes of Söllner diagram
Παράδειγμα χρησιμοποίησης διαγράμματος Söllner
 Unified Glare Rating (UGR)
Combined glare from all luminaires in our visual field
UGR calculation
 Maximum allowed values of UGR
according to the European Norm ΕΝ 12464-1
A typcial UGR table of a luminaire

ρ: Reflectance of ceiling, walls, floor

X, Y: Length and Width of room

H: Height of luminaire from working plane

S: Spacing between luminaires
 Reduction of glare
A luminaire with high UGR A luminaire with low UGR
i.e. with high glare i.e. with low glare
 Light Output Ratio (LOR)
Lu min ous flux emitted by the lu min aire
LOR 
Lu min ous flux produced by the lamps

LOR=0.67 means that the emitted flux is 67% of the produced

 Utilization factor (UF or CU)

• The percentage of the luminous flux of the lamps

that falls on the working plane i.e the “useful”
luminous flux
Lu min ous flux on the working plane
UF 
Lu min ous flux produced by the lamps
• In Europe: Utilization Factor (UF)
• In USA: Coefficient of Utilization (CU)
• Example
– UF=0.68
– The luminous flux falling on the working plane is 68%
of the total luminous flux of the luminaire lamps
 Utilization Factor depends on:
• the room dimensions

• the reflectance of the room surfaces

• the height of luminaires from the working plane

• the spacing between luminaires

The influence of the dimensions of the room is
integrated in one size: the room index Κ

L W
K
hm  ( L  W )

Working plane
 Συντελεστής χρησιμοποίησης (παράδειγμα)
Indoor luminaire Utilization factors
Nominal spacing-to-height ratio (SHRNOM) = 1
Reflectance
• Length: 15 m Suspension ratio J=0 Suspension ratio J=1/4

• Width: 5 m ρ-ceiling 0.80 0.80 0.80 0.70 0.70 0.70 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.80 0.80 0.80 0.70 0.70 0.70 0.50 0.50 0.50

• Height: 3 m ρ-walls 0.70 0.50 0.30 0.70 0.50 0.30 0.70 0.50 0.30 0.70 0.50 0.30 0.70 0.50 0.30 0.70 0.50 0.30
ρ-working
L W 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20


plane
• Thus: K
hm  ( L  W ) 0.60 0.31 0.24 0.20 0.30 0.24 0.20 0.29 0.23 0.20 0.30 0.23 0.20 0.29 0.23 0.20 0.28 0.23 0.20
0.80 0.36 0.29 0.25 0.35 0.29 0.25 0.33 0.28 0.24 0.34 0.28 0.24 0.34 0.28 0.24 0.33 0.28 0.24

15  5 1.00 0.40 0.34 0.29 0.39 0.33 0.29 0.37 0.32 0.28 0.38 0.32 0.29 0.38 0.32 0.28 0.36 0.31 0.28
K 1.25 0.43 0.38 0.33 0.42 0.37 0.33 0.40 0.36 0.32 0.42 0.36 0.33 0.41 0.36 0.32 0.40 0.35 0.32
3  (15  5) Room
1.50 0.46 0.40 0.37 0.44 0.40 0.36 0.42 0.38 0.35 0.45 0.39 0.36 0.44 0.39 0.35 0.42 0.38 0.35
index
K  1.25 K
2.00 0.49 0.45 0.41 0.48 0.44 0.41 0.46 0.42 0.40 0.48 0.44 0.41 0.47 0.43 0.40 0.45 0.42 0.39
2.50 0.51 0.47 0.44 0.50 0.46 0.44 0.47 0.45 0.42 0.50 0.46 0.43 0.49 0.46 0.43 0.47 0.44 0.42
3.00 0.53 0.49 0.46 0.51 0.48 0.46 0.49 0.46 0.44 0.52 0.48 0.46 0.51 0.48 0.45 0.49 0.46 0.44
4.00 0.54 0.52 0.49 0.53 0.51 0.49 0.51 0.49 0.47 0.54 0.51 0.49 0.53 0.50 0.48 0.50 0.48 0.46
5.00 0.55 0.53 0.51 0.54 0.52 0.50 0.52 0.50 0.49 0.55 0.53 0.51 0.54 0.52 0.50 0.51 0.50 0.48
 The Maintenance Factor (MF)
• The lighting installation is depreciated over the time
(ageing of lamps, depreciation of optical materials, dirt
over the reflecting surfaces etc)

• The lighting designer estimates that depreciation

quantitevely (MF) and increases respectively the initial
lighting level

• Over the time, that lighting level will be decreased due

to the ageing and the dirt.

• Thus, the initially high lighting level will be decreased,

over the time, to a level not lower than the required.

113
 An example

• Required illuminance revel: 500 lux

• Estimated depreciation: 20%

• Maintenance factor (MF): 0.80 (80%)

• Initial illuminance level: 500/0.80=625 lux

• The initial 625 lux will be gradually decreased due to

the ageing and the accumulation of dirt to:
625X0.80=500 lux i.e. at the required level

114
 MF sums the depreciation of the
lighting system due to the factors:

• Lamp lumen maintenance factor (LLMF)

• Lamp survival factor (LSF)

• Luminaire maintenance factor (LMF)

• Room surface maintenance factor (RSMF)

MF = LLMF Χ LSF Χ LMF Χ RSMF

First we determine how clean is the room
 The depreciation factors depend on the
maintenance interval

Luminaire maintenance factor (LMF)

Lamp lumen maintenance factor

(LLMF)

Lamp survival factor (LSF)

 A fast method to determine MF

Description of the room & equipment Maintenance factor

Very clean room, cleaning of luminaires once per year, burning of lamps 2000
hours/year, type of luminaires of direct lighting with protection from the 0.80
accumulation of dust
Typically clean room, cleaning of luminaires once per 3 years, burning of lamps
2000 hours/year, type of luminaires of direct/indirect lighting without protection 0.70
from the accumulation of dust

Room with pollution, cleaning of luminaires once per 3 years, burning of lamps
8000 hours/year, grouped replacement of lamps every 8000 hours, luminaires 0.50
without protection from the accumulation of dust
 Flux Code / Luminaire classification

CIE, CEN, DIN, UTE, BZ flux codes

How can we “decode” them?
 CIE Flux Code
 Examples: CIE 30 40 50 100 65, CIE 48 78 95 99 70
N  100   / 2
1 
2


N  100  
2 
2

N  100  3 / 2
3 
2

 
N  100 2  100  2
4  
4 lum

N  100  lum
5 
lamp

N  LOR
5
 An example of the CIE Flux Code of a
luminaire
CIE 48 78 95 99 70
Φπ/2=0,48· Φ2π: 48% of the downward flux is emitted in the solid angle Ω=π/2

Φπ=0,78·Φ2π: 78% of the downward flux is emitted in the solid angle Ω=π

Φ3π/2=0,95·Φ2π: 95% of the downward flux is emitted in the solid angle Ω=2π/3

Φ2π=0,99Φlum: 99% of the total flux of the luminaire is emitted downwards.

Thus only 1% of the total flux of the luminaire is emitted upwards.

Φlum=0,70·Φlamp: The luminaire emits in the room 70% of the total flux of the
lamps. Thus LOR = 70%
Ingress Protection (IP) rating
Examples of IP of luminaires

IP 20

IP 44

IP 65

IP 67
 IP IK
Ingress Shock
protection protection
rating rating
 Light sources

• to be continued