Lighting Glossary

General Lighting Concepts

Accent Lighting Highlights design features, artwork, or architectural elements.

Ambient Lighting General illumination providing overall visibility and creating the foundation for lighting a space.

Downlighting Fixtures directed downward to focus on specific areas.

Task Lighting Focused lighting to assist with specific activities like reading or working.

Uplighting Lighting directed upwards to emphasize ceilings or architectural features.

Color Temperature Describes the warmth or coolness of light, measured in Kelvins (K).

Lumen A measure of the total visible light emitted by a source.

Lux Measures illuminance, or how much light hits a surface.

Uniformity Ratio Indicates how evenly light is distributed across a space.

Beam Angle Defines the spread of light emitted from a fixture.

CRI (Color Rendering Index) Rates a light source's ability to reveal colors accurately (scale 0–100).

Efficacy Measures energy efficiency in lumens per watt (lm/W).

IP Rating (Ingress Protection) Indicates dust and water resistance (e.g., IP65 for outdoor use).

LED Driver Regulates power to LED fixtures for consistent performance.

Retrofit Lighting Upgrading existing fixtures to modern, energy-efficient solutions.

Dimmable Lighting Fixtures that allow brightness adjustments for energy savings or mood setting.

RGB Lighting Uses red, green, and blue LEDs to create dynamic or decorative lighting effects.

Smart Lighting App or automation-controlled lighting systems offering advanced features.

Tunable White Allows adjustment of color temperature between warm and cool light.

Warm Dim Technology LED technology mimicking incandescent dimming effects.

Energy Star Certification for lighting products meeting strict energy efficiency standards.

Lifespan The estimated operational life of a lighting product, often measured in hours.

Glare Uncomfortable brightness caused by excessive light or poorly placed fixtures.

Photometric Data Provides performance details like beam spread, lux levels, and efficiency.