Photometric Data: Light Quantity Calculations: ART 2640, Building Systems of Interior Environments
Photometric Data: Light Quantity Calculations: ART 2640, Building Systems of Interior Environments
Photometric Data:
Light Quantity Calculations
Light Quantity
Glare vs. Sparkle
Lighting Metrics
Luminous Flux
Illuminance
Luminous Intensity
Luminance
Luminance Exitance
Glare
More light is not better.
Uncontrolled bright light in the field of
view is glare.
Glare
Glare can also be experienced as
Veiling Reflection
Glare
Knowing the direction of light can
reduce the possibility of glare.
Sparkle
Sparkle is uncontrolled light that is not
visually distracting.
Lighting Metrics
Luminous Flux or how much light does
that lamp (light bulb) produce?
watts
Notice Lumens
840 Lumens
Luminous Flux Energy In Watts
When energy
(electricity) flows into
a lamp it is converted
into light. The total
amount of light that
flows from the lamp
is Luminous Flux.
The measure of
Luminous Flux is
Lumens.
Energy Out Lumens (Light)
Luminous Flux or how much light does
that lamp (light bulb) produce?
(PHI)
= Luminous Flux
The measurement of
Luminous Flux is Lumens
= 840 Lumens
Luminous Flux
If you are looking for the lamp that
produces the most amount of light
you look for the one with the most
lumens.
(Lumens)
Efficacy =
Watts
What is the Efficacy of the Above Lamp?
Luminous Flux
= 840 Lumens
Watts = 60
840 Lumens
Efficacy =
60 Watts
Efficacy = 14 Lumens/Watt*
For every watt of energy used this lamp produces 14 lumens.
*Always use nomenclature in all calculations.
Luminous Flux
We can use this calculation (efficacy) to compare different
types of lamps to compare energy efficiency.
Compact Fluorescent
Watts = 14 Lumens =745
Why Mean Lumens?
Some lamps create
745 Lumens more light when they are
Efficacy = new. The mean number
14 watts
of lumens takes into
Efficacy = 53.2 Lumens/Watts account the light loss
over time.
Luminous Flux
Efficacy = 62 Lumens/Watts
Luminous Flux
Summary of Efficacy
60 Watt ‘A’ Incandescent = 14 Lumens/Watt
14 Watt Compact Fluorescent = 53.2 Lumens/Watt
100 Watt HID Metal Halide = 62 Lumens/Watt
The fluorescent is 3.8 times more energy efficient than the incandescent
and the HID lamp is 4.4 time more energy efficient than the
incandescent.*
*Efficacy is just one of many factors to be taken into account when
comparing lamps. CCT, CRI, and the ability to optically control the lamp
are other important considerations.
Illuminance
How much light do you need to eat pizza, read a newspaper, or prepare
food? All these tasks require different amounts of light to complete. You
know that you need more light to read a newspaper than to eat pizza. But
do you need more or less light to cook a pizza than read a newspaper?
These questions are ones which ask how much light falls on a surface.
The surface may be a pizza, a newspaper, or the counter in a kitchen.
When you want to measure the amount of light needed to complete a
task, you will need to understand illuminance.
Illuminance
The light that strikes an
object is illuminance. In the
illustration to the right, the
light is striking the light
meter. The light meter
measures illuminance levels.
The units for illuminance are
footcandles. (fc).
E = Illuminance
(incident luminous flux*)
E=
Area (square feet)
E=
Area
1500 Lumens
E= = 100 fc
15 square feet
Luminous Intensity
Luminous Intensity is the force generating the luminous flux, or the force
behind the flowing light.
An analogy is water flowing from a hose. The pressure of the water in the
hose is similar to luminous intensity. It is important to consider both the
direction and force when considering luminous intensity.
Area = 3' * 5' = 15 square feet
Luminous Intensity
To represent the intensity and the direction of light we use a candle power
distribution curve or intensity distribution diagram.
600 Candelas
Candelas
I I = Candelas = 800 cd
E=
D2 D = Distance = 1'
800 Candelas
E= 2
= 800 footcandles
1'
Luminous Intensity - Inverse Square Law
What is the
Illuminance of a
surface that is
illuminated with a 800
lumen lamp at a
distance of 2'?
800 candelas
E= 2
= 200 footcandles
2'
Luminous Intensity - Inverse Square Law
What is the
Illuminance of a
surface that is
illuminated with a 800
lumen lamp at a
distance of 4'?
800 Candelas
E= 2
= 50 footcandles
4'
Luminous Intensity - Inverse Square Law
When the distance of a light doubles from the surface it is
illuminating the amount of light decreases by a factor of 4.
1'-6"
8'-6"
5'-0"
1'-6"
I E = Illuminance = 75 footcandles
E= I = D2 X E
D2 D = Distance = 8'-6"
8'-6"
5'-0"
1'-6"
I E = Illuminance = 75 footcandles
E= I = D2 X E
D2 D = Distance = 5’-0”
8'-6"
5'-0"
1'-6"
I E = Illuminance = 75 footcandles
E= I = D2 X E
D2 D = Distance = 1’-6”
0
Luminous Intensity - Inverse Square Law
To generate 75
footcandles: 150 watt
The ceiling mounted Incandescent
fixture requires 6 times
the energy compared to
the desk lamp. 45 watt
Incandescent
The pendent fixture
requires 2 times the
energy compared to the
desk lamp. 27 watt
Incandescent
Luminous Intensity - Inverse Square Law
The inverse square law as
stated below only works for a
3' light that is at 90 deg to the
surface it is illuminating.
I
E=
D2
D = Distance = 3'-0"
I = 500 Candelas
500 Candelas
E=
9 sq. ft.
E=55.5 Footcandles
E = Lms ÷ A
Illuminance = Lumens divided by Area
A = 10’ x 15’ = 150 sq. ft.
1000 Lumens x 5 down lights = 5000 lumens
E = 5000 Lms ÷ 150 sq. ft.
E = 37.5 Lms per sq. ft.
E = 37.5 foot candles (FC)
Lumen Method Example 2
Solving for Lumens or Luminaires needed
Room 10’ x 15’ (A = 150 sq. ft.)
Illuminance level (E) = 60 foot-candles
Need Lumens / Luminaires
E = Lms ÷ A - original equation
Lumens needed = Illuminance x Area
Lms = E x A
Lms = 60 E x 150 sq. ft.
Lms = 9000 Lumens
Lumen Method Example 2
Solving for Lumens or Luminaires needed
Lumens needed = Illuminance x Area
Lms = E x A
Lms = 60 E x 150 sq. ft.
Lms = 9000 Lumens
550 lumens = per luminaire
Luminaires needed = Lumens needed divided by
Lumens per luminaire
Luminaires (X) = 9000 (lumens) ÷ 550 Lumens per
Luminaire
9000 ÷ 550 = 16.36
Always round up with any point.
Luminaires needed = 17
Lumen Method Safety Factors
Light loss factor (LLF) – light loss due to
deteriorating lamps
Industry standard of .85 for a light loss factor
Luminance=250 cd/sq.in.
M= XE
M = .88 X 100 fc = 88 fc (footcandles)
M= XE
M = .50 X 40 fc = 20 fc (footcandles)
The ceiling in an
indirect lighting
system is part of
the light fixture.
The ceiling must
reflect most of the
light for the
lighting system to
be efficient.
Luminance Exitance
Due to selective absorption, the reflected light will take on
the color of the surface of the wall. A red wall will reflect
red light onto a white table surface.
All fixtures absorb some of the light from the lamps. Comparing
luminaire efficiencies between fixtures allow for quick energy efficiency
ratings.
Photometric Data
Coefficient of Utilization (CU)
Room
Ratios the
larger the
number the
larger the
room.
Photometric Data
Coefficient of Utilization (CU) Table
Note that small rooms with light colors have a high CU.
Large rooms that are dark have a low CU.
The CU represents the percentage of lumens that reach the work surface from
the fixture.
Photometric Data
Spacing Criteria describes the maximum acceptable
distance between fixtures when they are laid out in a room.
The number provided by the fixture manufacture is a ratio
that is multiplied by the distance between the work plane
that is to be illuminated and the bottom of the fixture.
Photometric Data
Spacing Criteria
If the distance between the fixture and the work plane is 6’
then the maximum spacing criteria would be 6’X1.2 = 7.2’
parallel to the fixture and 6’X1=6’ 90 degrees to the fixture.
(Remember that these are the maximum spacing
recommendations.)
7’-2” MAX
6’-0”
MAX
Photometric Data
Physical Dimensions and Finishes
Photometric Data
Lamp and Ballast Data
Photometric Data
Manufacture Photometric Data
Wall Washer
Placement Guide
Calculation Data