*Longest life available *Most lumens per watt available
Glossary of Terms
CFL - The standard term given to small diameter fluorescent lamps which have a built-in ballast for direct replacement of incandescent lamps.
FLUORESCENT - A low pressure mercury discharge lamp in which an electric discharge of ultraviolet energy excites a coating of phosphor on the lamp glass and transforms some of the energy into visible light. Fluorescent lamps are manufactured in a variety of shapes and sizes.
COLD CATHODE - CCFL's are part of the fluorescent family but use a smaller diameter tube and have a more efficient discharge. CCFL's contain very little mercury (50% less than conventional fluorescent) and are available in many shapes and sizes. CCFL's can also be dimmed up to 90%. CCFL's have been used for years in laptop displays, copiers and cell phones.
LED - Light Emitting Diodes are developed from solid state technology and use printed circuit boards instead of gas or vapors to provide visible light. LED's are extremely efficient in that there is very little energy waste. LED's have been used for years as indicator lights in consoles, radios and electronic equipment.
XENON - A filament lamp filled with Xenon gas. Xenon is an extremely efficient gas in that it emits very little heat. Xenon has been used for years in search lights, medical lamps and automotive lamps.
WATTAGE - A unit of electrical power (directly related to heat discharge) used to indicate power consumption.
VOLTAGE - Refers to the force or pressure of electricity.
LUMENS - Represents the amount of light emitted by a light source.
LUMINANCE - Refers to light on a surface (i.e. table top).
LUMENS PER WATT - Refers to the efficiency of a light source. The more lumens per watt (LPW) the greater the efficiency.
CANDELA - Refers to the measurement of intensity in a given direction (reflector type lamps).
CANDLE POWER - Refers to intensity expressed in candelas.
KELVIN TEMPERATURE - Refers to a unit of color temperature on a chart. The lower the color temperature, the warmer or more yellow the appearance. The higher the color temperature the cooler or bluer the appearance. Typical Kelvin Ratings are: 2800k for incandescent, 3000k for halogen, 4200k for cool white fluorescent and 5000k for daylight and metal halide.
LUX - Refers to lumens per square meter
CRI - Refers to an index from 0-100 measuring color accuracy. Any light source above 80 CRI is considered good color rendering.
FOOT CANDLE - A measurement of lumens per foot.
