Light Sources/Light Bulbs
The lighting effect you can expect from a lighting fixture is largely governed by the light source you use.
From September 2010 the regulations on packaging of light bulbs will provide the you with more useful information to help you choose.
Lighting Measurement Terminology
| Wattage | The energy consumption of a light source- this does not indicate the light output as many people have come to believe. |
| Lumens | The light output. |
| Efficacy | A measure of the efficiency of the light source measured in lumens (output) per watt (energy used) often expressed as lm/w. |
Below you can find out more about the different types of light bulbs available
Incandescent bulbs are the more traditional light bulbs we have come to know and it is these that are being slowly phased out in favour of the more efficient new technologies. They produce light by passing a current through a filament which then…
Fluorescent bulbs or ‘low energy’ as they have become known employ a technology that has been developed over 60 years where an electric arc passes through a gas including mercury to generate non-visible light which is converted to…
Halogen light bulbs use a filament but employ a halogen gas to produce a bright white light which is often used in indoor downlights, spot lights and exterior flood lights. Small halogen capsule lamps have become popular in recent years and new…
High-Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs are highly efficient light sources and last for a long time, however, they are rarely used in a domestic property owing to their poor colour properties. Image Courtesy of OSRAM
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are the promising new technology in lighting that everyone is talking about. They were invented decades ago but only in recent years have they become serious contenders for general lighting. They rely on a completely…
Xenon bulbs provide a similar white light to halogen and are typically used in strip lighting under cabinets or for coving. They have a much longer life than halogen bulbs and generally run cooler. Image Courtesy of OSRAM …