PRINCIPLES OF

ILLUMINATION
GROUP IV
• Definition of terms
• Illumination and brightness
• Coefficient of Utilization and Maintenance Factor
• Measuring footcandle
• Uniformity of light
• Classification of Lighting System
• Lighting control
• Street lighting
• Illumination

-the intensity of light per unit area.

• Electric Illumination

-the production of light by means of electricity and its applications to provide efficient, comfortable, and safe
vision.
• Quantity of Light

-the amount of illumination or –luminous flux per unit. Quantity of light can be measured and easily handled
because it deals with the number of light fixtures required for a certain area.
• Quality of light

-the distribution of brightness in the lighting installation. It deals with the essential nature or characteristics of
light.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
• Brightness

-the light that seems to radiate from an object being viewed. Brightness or Luminance is the luminous flux
(light) emitted, transmitted, or reflected from a surface.
• Contrast

-the difference in brightness or the brightness ratio between an object and its background.
The recommended brightness ratio between an object being viewed and its background normally 3:1.
• Direct glare

-an annoying brightness of light in a person’s normal field of vision.

• Indirect or Reflected glare

-much more serious and difficult to control. Technically reflected glare is a glossy object.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
• Perfect Diffusion

-an equal intensity of light clashing from all directions producing no shadow.
• Hue

-is the quality attribute by which we recognize and describe colors as red, blue, yellow, green, violet and so
on.
• Brilliance or Value

-is the difference between the resultants colors of the same Hue, such as; white is the most brilliant of the
neutral colors while black is the least.
• Saturation or Chromate

-is the difference from the purity of the colors. Colors of high saturation must be used in a well-lit space.
ILLUMINATION AND BRIGHTNESS

• In many respect, it is more important to know luminance

measurements than illumination because the eye is more
sensitive to brightness than simple illumination. However, it is
more difficult measure luminance than illumination.
THREE TYPES OF LUMINANCE METER
1. The Comparator Type - which requires the operator to make a
brightness equivalence judgement between the target and the
background.
2. The Direct Reading Type - is basically an illumination meter
equipped with a hooded cell arranged to block oblique light.
3. The Accurate Laboratory Instrument - which unsuitable to field work.
The quantity of light level of illumination can be easily measured
or calculated with the aid of portable foot candle meter.
• Foot-candle(fc) is the amount of light flux density. It is the unit measure used when describing the amount
of light in a room and is expressed in lumens per square foot.
• Footlambert(f) is defined as “the luminance of a surface reflecting. Transmitting or emitting one lumen(lm)
of illumination per square foot of area in the direction being viewed or the conventional unit of brightness or
luminance. In the same manner, the lumens(lm) is the light output generated continuously by a standard
wax candle.
• This quantity called light flux density is the common term Foot-Candle(fc) represented by the formula:

Foot-Candle=Lumens
Area
EXAMPLE
• A 40 – watt fluorescent lamp 120 centimeters long procedures 3,200 lumens in a room having a
general dimension of 10x20ft. Find the illumination on the floor.
• Solution
Foot-Candle=Lumens
Area
Fc= 3,200 lm = 16 footcandle
10x20ft.
• The Foot-Candle is an important unit of measure in calculating the desired illumination and layout of
fixtures. In the absence of Tables equivalent foot-candles for a fixture, a rule of thumb of 10-30-50.
Illumination level is here presented;
• 10 - foot-candle is adequate for halls and corridors
• 30 - foot-candle is sufficient for areas between workstations such as in offices other than desk
areas.
• 50 – foot-candle is satisfactory on spaces where office work is done.
• Luminance = Illumination x Reflectance factor or
• Footlambert = Foot-candle x Reflectance factor
• In the Metric System, Luminance Or Brightness is expressed in
Lambert which is defined as “the luminance or brightness of a surface
reflecting, transmitting or emitting one lumen per square centimetre.
Millilambert is more conveniently used than the lambert the value of
lambert is greater than what is usually encountered.
COEFFICIENT OF UTILIZATION AND MAINTENANCE FACTOR

• The usable initial foot-candle or lux is equal to the foot-candle produced by the coefficient of
utilization (cu).
• Initial was emphasized because the output is of a light fixture is reduced with time as the lamp fixture
is become old and dirty. Lamp output normally drops and is termed as a Maintenance factor (mf).
And to find the average-maintained illumination, we reduce the initial illumination by the maintenance
factor.
• The efficiency of a light fixture is equaling the ratio of fixture output lumens to lamp
output lumens. What we need is to determine a number indicating the efficiency of
the fixture room combination, or how a light fixture lights a room.
MEASURING FOOT-CANDLE
• The unit measure of illumination is the foot-candle or lux in the metric system which is frequently
used when describing the amount of light in a room. It is not enough to know how to calculate the
illumination level, but it is also equally important to know how to measure them in enclosed space.
In measuring illumination level, the foot-candle is held horizontally with its sensitive surface at least
30 centimeters from the body of the person holding the meter, The meter could be placed on a table
and read from distance to avoid obstruction of the light.
UNIFORMITY OF LIGHT
• The purpose lighting calculations, by the foot-candle or lux, is to determine the average illumination
in a room or lux, is to determine the average illumination in a room to a working level condition. This
working level condition refers to the height of 75 centimeters above the floor being the approximate
height of the table. The average illumination at the working level is directly related to the maximum
spacing of the light to the mounting height ratio represented by the formula.
• S/mh where: S= Spacing of light fixtures
Mh= mounting height
Normally, the manufacturer of the light provides data with respect to spacing and mounting ratio.
UNIFORMITY OF LIGHT
• Lighting system is classified into four types, namely
• Direct lighting
• Semi-direct lighting
• Semi-indirect lighting
• Indirect lighting
STREET LIGHTING
• The institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers instituted guidelines for adequate and
acceptable illumination of the streets in order to promote safety. This concept was
brought about by the continuously increasing speed of motor vehicles using the road.
• The Philippine Electrical Code Committee prepared the guidelines for a standard practice
for design of street lighting installation recommending the proper quantity and quality of
light for a traffic routes.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
• Lighting Installation- is defined as the whole of the equipment provided for lighting the roadway comprising the lamps
luminaries, means of support and electrical installations including other auxiliaries.
• Lighting System- refers to an array of luminaries having a characteristics of light distribution.
• Luminaire- is a housing for one or more lamps comprising a body and any refractor, diffuser or enclosure associated with
the lamps.
• Road width- is the distance between the edges of the road curbs measured at right angles to the length of the roadway.
• Outreach- is the distance measured horizontally between the outer of the column or wall face or lamp post and the
center of the luminaries
• Overhang- is the horizontal distance between the center of the luminaries and the adjacent edge of the road
• Mounting height- refers to the vertical distance between the center of the luminaire and the surface of the roadway.
• Spacing- is the distance between the successive luminaries in an installation.