LIGHT SOURCES

AR 343
 DAYLIGHTING
Daylighting describes the controlled use of natural light in and around buildings
(Reinhart, 2014). It is the practice of placing windows, or other transparent media and
reflective surfaces so that natural light provides effective internal illumination during the
day. Successful daylighting requires design considerations at all stages of the building
design process, from site planning to architectural, interior and lighting design. 

Daylight in buildings is composed of a mix – direct sunlight, diffuse skylight, and

light reflected from the ground and surrounding elements. Daylighting design needs to
consider orientation and building site characteristics, facade and roof characteristics,
size and placement of window openings, glazing and shading systems, and geometry
and reflectance of interior surfaces. Good daylighting design ensures adequate light
during daytime.

Daylighting systems can be simple: from combining window design with appropriate
internal and external shading (e.g. external awning blind and internal Venetian blind) –
to systems designed to redirect sunlight or skylight to areas where it is required (e.g. sun
tunnels). More advanced systems can be designed to track the sun or passively control
the direction of sunlight and skylight. 

Daylighting is inseparably linked to the energy demand and indoor climate of a building.
The size and placement of glazing should be determined together with the total energy
use of the building and specific requirements for daylighting.
DAYLIGHTING STRATEGIES
DAYLIGHTING STRATEGIES
DAYLIGHTING STRATEGIES

Incandescent lamps
– Mains voltage or low voltage
– Dimmable
– Brilliant light
– Excellent colour rendering
– Use: retail and domestic areas,
hospitality and decorative
applications
LIGHT SOURCES
INCANDESCENT LAMPS
Functional description
Current flows through a filament and heats it
up in exactly the same way as in an
incandescent lamp. This is why these lamps
release relatively large amounts of heat.
Low-voltage lamps are very compact and
therefore ideally suitable for directing light
precisely, but they do need a transformer.
Due to European legislation, only the most
energy-efficient versions of this lamp group
are permitted. More efficient alternatives
include compact
fluorescent lamps with built-in electronic
ballasts or LED lamps.
 LIGHT SOURCES
FLOURESCENT LAMPS
Fluorescent lamps
– High to very high luminous efficiency
(especially T16 HE)
– Good to very good colour rendering
– Long service life
– Wide selection of standard ranges
– Dimmable
– Use: efficient wide-area lighting

Functional description
An alternating electrical field between two
electrodes in the discharge tube produces
invisible UV radiation. The tube’s white
fluorescent coating converts this radiation into
high-quality, visible light. These lamps need
ignitors and current limiting; these functions are
combined in an electronic ballast.
The luminous flux of fluorescent lamps is
highly dependent on their operating position and
ambient temperature. Lamps that use amalgam
technology are optimised for use in
environments where there are fluctuating
Temperatures.
 LIGHT SOURCES
COMPACT FLOURESCENT LAMPS
Compact fluorescent lamps

– Compact designs
– High luminous efficiency
– Excellent colour rendering
– Wide selection of standard ranges
– Dimmable
– Use: commercial and prestigious
areas, hospitality

Functional description
These lamps are compact versions of
tubular or toroidal fluorescent lamps and
operate
in a very similar way.
The luminous flux of these lamps is highly
dependent on their operating position and
ambient temperature. Lamps that use
amalgam technology are optimised for use in
environments where there are fluctuating
temperatures.
 LIGHT SOURCES
METAL HALIDE LAMPS

Metal halide lamps

– High luminous efficiency
– Good to very good colour rendering
– Good colour stability in case of lamps with
ceramic discharge tubes
– Usually not dimmable
– Use: industrial bays, spotlighting,
floodlighting systems, retail areas

Functional description
Metal halide lamps maintain an extremely
compact electric arc in a discharge tube.
Lighting quality is determined by the composition of
the materials the lamp contains. An ignitor is needed
to start the lamp and the current must be limited by a
ballast.
Electronic ballasts can advantageously be used for
low-power lamps. Lamps with a ceramic discharge
tube offer the best lighting quality, efficiency and
service life.
 LIGHT SOURCES
HIGH PRESSURE SODIUM DISCHARGE LAMPS
High-pressure sodium discharge lamps
– High luminous efficiency and long
service life
– Satisfactory to poor colour rendering
– Yellowish light colour
– Can be dimmed in steps
– Use: industrial bays, street lighting,
outdoor illumination
Colour-improved (Philips SDW):
– Warm, white light
– Excellent colour rendering
– Use: retail areas

Functional description
Discharge in the elongated ceramic discharge
tube is determined by sodium. The
light therefore has a yellow hue and is only
suitable for specific applications.
Philips colour-improved SDW produces very
good quality white light and is a popular
choice for lighting in retail spaces.
An ignitor is generally needed to start the
lamp. The current must be limited by a
ballast.
 LIGHT SOURCES
LIGHT EMITTING DIODES (LEDs)
Light emitting diodes (LEDs)
– Very efficient light production
– Wide selection of standard ranges
– Can be switched and dimmed as required
– Very long service life
– Good to very good colour rendering
– Very good production of coloured light
– Use: LEDs can be used for both functional
and decorative lighting in indoor
and outdoor locations.

Functional description
Light emitting diodes are modern semiconductor
devices. Their characteristics are
Determined by their materials, mechanical
design and operating mode. The active
semiconductor layer, in which radiation is
produced, is sandwiched between a positive
and a negative substrate inside the LED.
Actual coloured light is produced, depending
on which materials are chosen. Nowadays,
high-quality white light is produced
by blue LEDs with yellow luminescent substances.
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