Lighting Fixture System

Lamps refer to the enclosure of the lighting source. The most common types of lamps are incandescent, fluorescent, high intensity discharge (HID), induction and LED. Many types of lamps can be used within a facility. Lamps convert electrical energy to light, and a portion to heat. The efficiency of the lamp in minimizing losses to heat is the biggest determining factor in the energy efficiency of the lighting fixture system.

The ballast is an electrical device that regulates the voltage and current supplied to a lamp. All lamp types, other than incandescent, need ballasts to ensure stable operation. Ballasts come in various types, each designed for specific lamps, and some fixture systems have ballasts integrated into the lamp component. The regulation of voltage and current results in some energy loss as heat, and ballast efficiency varies depending on how well these losses are minimized.

The fixture housing is the physical receptacle that houses the lamp and ballast. The housing may include shutters or diffusers which direct and disperse the light. Some housing is designed to disperse the heat generated by the lamp and ballast more effectively, which increases the life of the fixture.

Controls regulate the operation of the light fixtures, such as when they are turned on and off, and their brightness. Controls can be manual or automatic. Manual controls are wall switches within a space and circuit breakers at the electrical panelboard and switchgear. Automatic controls use sensors and/or timers to determine when and how to regulate the fixture operation. Some automatic controls have their own control panel wired directly to the circuits at the lighting panelboards or the ballasts of individual fixtures.