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Industrial Lighting Knowledge Base
A practical reference for industrial and commercial lighting terminology, specifications and engineering concepts used across Magnitech lighting designs and product documentation.
Explore definitions covering LED performance, photometry, electrical characteristics, solar lighting, ingress protection, colour quality, hazardous-area terminology and other technical lighting concepts.
Lighting Terminology & Definitions
Term | Abbr | Description |
|---|---|---|
Amp hour | Ah | Amp hour is a unit of electrical charge commonly used
to quantify the capacity of a battery. It represents the
amount of electrical charge that a battery can deliver over
a specified period. |
Beam angle | — | The beam angle refers to the angular spread of light emitted
from a lighting fixture. It determines the width and direction
of the light distribution. |
Charge Controller | — | Regulates electricity flow between PV panel and battery; prevents over-charging and improves transfer efficiency. |
Colour Correlated Temperature | CCT (K) | Perceived “warmth” or “coolness” of light measured in Kelvin (K). |
Colour Rendering Index | CRI | Measure of how faithfully a light source renders colours across a gamut; higher CRI = more accurate colour appearance. |
Efficacy | lm/W | Light output per watt of input power; higher lm/W = more efficient. |
Ex classification | — | Coding system for equipment in hazardous areas indicating protection against explosive atmospheres. |
Glare | UGR | Visual discomfort from excessive brightness or contrast; managed to maintain comfort and visibility. |
Horizontal illuminance | Eh | Illuminance on a horizontal plane. |
IK rating | IK | Mechanical impact resistance classification for enclosures (IEC 62262). |
Illuminance | lux (lm/m²) | Total luminous flux incident on a surface per unit area. |
Ingress Protection rating | IP | Degree of protection against solids, dust, contact and water (IEC 60529). |
Insolation | kWh/m²/day | Solar energy received per area per day; key input for sizing solar lighting systems. |
LM-79 | — | IES test method for performance of LED products (light output, electrical power, efficacy, etc.). |
LM-80 | — | IES standard for measuring lumen maintenance of LED packages/arrays/modules (component level). |
Light distribution | — | Pattern/direction of emitted light; drives uniformity, intensity and application suitability. |
Lumen | lm | Unit of total visible light emitted by a source (brightness). |
Luminance | cd/m² | Luminous intensity per unit area in a direction; light emitted/reflected/passing through a surface. |
Luminous flux | lm | Perceived power of light emitted by a source. |
Luminous intensity | cd | Light emitted in a given direction; measured in candelas. |
Lux | lx | Illuminance — light incident on a surface per unit area. |
Maintenance factor | MF | Accounts for light loss over time (lamp/luminaire/room surface maintenance) to keep target illuminance through life. |
Mounting height | — | Vertical distance from the surface to the photometric centre of the luminaire. |
Ohm’s Law | — | Relationship between voltage, current and resistance in an electrical circuit. |
Outreach | — | Horizontal distance from pole centreline to luminaire photometric centre. |
Overhang | — | Horizontal distance from kerb edge to luminaire photometric centre. |
Photometry | — | Measurement of visible light as perceived by the eye across wavelengths. |
Pole setback | — | Horizontal distance from kerb (or lane edge) to pole centreline, normal to traffic direction. |
Rated LED lifetime | LxBy (hours) | Estimated operating life until output declines to a specified level (e.g., L70); derived from standard tests/extrapolation. |
TM-21 | — | IES method for projecting long-term lumen maintenance of LED sources. |
Uniformity | Uo / Ul | Evenness of illumination. Uo = min/avg; Ul = min/max along a path. Higher values = more consistent lighting. |
Vertical illuminance | Ev | Illuminance on a vertical plane. |
Frequently asked questions
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