Contemporary Outdoor lighting
For entrances without a canopy, wall contemporary outdoor luminaires are the first choice. These are mounted at around three quarters of the height of the door. Alternative solutions are luminaires mounted under the canopy or column luminaires up to two metres high positioned directly beside the entrance. Luminaires must be designed for outdoor use, minimum degree of protection IP 43.
As front door lighting is usually on for long periods, economical compact fluorescent lamps and electronic ballast control (EB) are recommended. All-night lighting governed by a photoelectric lighting controller is a sensible choice. Where a motion detector is preferred, however, lamps which deliver full luminous flux as soon as they are switched on, e.g. incandescent lamps or tungsten-halogen lamps, are the most suitable option: Where lighting is activated only by contact switch, switches should be provided both inside and outside the door.
Illuminated house numbers are an important orientation aid at night. In an emergency, they help medics or police quickly identify the right address and, in less urgent situations, perform a signal function welcomed by taxi drivers and guests. Some towns and cities in Germany, such as Hamburg, have made house number lighting compulsory for compliance with building security regulations. It has to stay switched on throughout the night.
The basic requirements for ensuring a house number is easy to identify are the same in daylight as in darkness. The number needs to be mounted at an adequate height and must not be obscured from view in any direction. The size of the numerals is particularly important at night. To ensure they are clearly legible at a distance of 20 metres, backlit numerals (top picture) must be at least 10 centimetres high, illuminated numerals (bottom picture) somewhat larger.
Good lighting is particularly important for paths leading to house, garage and cellar entrance. On frequently used paths in the garden, too, lighting reduces the risk of accidents caused by tripping or stumbling. The light radiated by bollard luminaires, column luminaires (up to two metres high), wall luminaires on the house or pedestal luminaires - all of them stationary fittings - should clearly illuminate the surface underfoot and reveal any obstacles and steps or undulations. The lighting should be uniform, with no sharp light-dark contrasts. As for luminaire spacing, the basic rule is: the lower the mounting height, the shorter the distance between luminaires.
Steps - especially single steps on undulating paths - are places where accidents frequently occur. Correct lighting enables each step to be clearly made out from above, the treads distinguished by short, soft shadows. For greater safety, path lighting can be supplemented by pilot luminaires mounted on a wall flanking steps or integrated into the risers.
Where mobile luminaires and spots are used, care should be taken to ensure that, wherever possible, luminaires cast light in a direction which coincides with lines of vision. This is necessary to avoid disturbing glare.
Balcony and Patio Lighting
For balconies, wall luminaires are often the best solution for a stationary lighting system. Where a balcony is roofed, recessed ceiling luminaires or surface-mounted ceiling luminaires are an alternative or supplementary option. Mobile spots and luminaires on earth spikes are well-suited for use in planters and windowboxes; on small balconies, there is normally no need for anything other than this mobile lighting.
Balconies are not very deep constructions, so spots and windows are not far apart. Because of this proximity, there is a risk of glare from reflections in the glass. Consequently, care needs to be taken to ensure that spots are appropriately angled and positioned.
Patios are usually larger than balconies, so they tend to be used more often. Consequently, a greater part of the lighting system used to illuminate them should be designed for stationary mounting: wall luminaires, recessed ceiling luminaires or surface-mounted ceiling luminaires installed in or on the overhanging roof and pedestal, bollard or column luminaires at the boundary. Where dimmer control is provided, the lighting system should be designed, at maximum illuminance, to ensure a lighting level suitable for reading and writing.
Accents can be set by mobile spots on earth spikes embedded in planters and/or flowerbeds fronting the patio. These spots should be carefully angled to avoid glare. This is particularly important where narrow beams of light are cast directly onto a patio from slanting planes.
Favourites here are luminaires for tubular fluorescent lamps, in "spraywater-proof" exterior designs for carports. Additional lighting can be provided by decorative luminaires, but narrow-beam models should be avoided because of the risk of glare.
A single luminaire in the centre of the ceiling is not enough. This would illuminate nothing but the vehicle roof. What is needed are at least two luminaires mounted lengthways. One luminaire should be mounted on one side at the front, the other positioned on the opposite side towards the rear. This provides lighting over a large area - lighting for checking under the bonnet and for loading up the boot.
Where a garage is frequently used for vehicle repair work or where several bicycles are parked alongside the vehicle parked in it, third and fourth luminaires are recommended to provide uniform lighting throughout the garage. For garage doors which are opened by remote control, it is a good idea to wire the interior lighting so that it is automatically activated when the signal to open the door is transmitted.
The driveway leading to a garage or carport is the second access route to the house. So for all but the very shortest routes, path lighting is required. Vehicle headlamps definitely do not provide adequate lighting. To make a drive safe for everyone who uses it, additional lighting is essential.
Path lighting
Bollard or column luminaires are the preferred light sources here. Where a vehicle is regularly parked on a garage or carport approach, it will block the light of any luminaires which are mounted too low. To avoid this, column luminaire mounting heights should be at least two metres. On very narrow or long drives, drive-over recessed ground luminaires can be set into the driveway surface to provide additional orientation lighting. Wall luminaires mounted beside the garage door furnish light for operating the door.
As the exterior lighting is generally on for relatively long periods of time, it is advisable to use economical compact fluorescent lamps operated by electronic ballasts (EBs). Where lighting is activated by motion detectors, lamps which deliver full luminous flux instantly - incandescent lamps or tungsten-halogen lamps - are the preferred option.
Garden
Accent lighting
Illuminated vegetation makes for a magical lighting atmosphere. Colourful flower beds, interesting foliage, even objets d'art retain their eye-catching appeal in artificial lighting.
Artificial lighting gives the garden at night a special visual impact, forming structures that uniform daylight cannot create. The atmosphere generated is particularly striking where vegetation is assigned its own supplementary lighting. Flowerbeds, shrubbery, bushes, groups of trees - they can all be accentuated to good effect, usually by spots or floods mounted on or in the gound. Mobile spots have the advantage that they can be re-positioned to set new accents, e.g. as the seasons change.
It is advisable to position light sources at varying distances from the objects they illuminate. It is also important to plan transitions from light to dark, because dark zones are essentail for effective highlighting.
Installation
Garden lighting calls for well-planned electrics. Installation is easiest where cable outlets for luminaires and sockets can be provided while the house is being built and where cables can be laid in the garden before landscaping. The effort and expense of installing electrics at a later date, however, is not prohibitive.
Loose cables trailing over paths and garden are accidents waiting to happen, so it is worth taking the trouble to lay them underground. Buried at a depth of around 60 centimetres, they are safe from a gardener's spade. Connection to outlet pillars enables exposed cables for mobile luminaires and spots to be kept as short as possible. In hard, compacted ground, stationary luminaires can be securely anchored by using planted spikes. Otherwise, concrete foundations are needed.
For maximum convenience, garden lighting can be regulated - by timers, photoelectric lighting controllers or motion detectors, or by devices performing all of those functions. Lamps controlled by motion detectors should be designed to deliver instant full power, e.g. tungsten-halogen lamps or PAR incandescent lamps. Thought should also be given to whether, and if so, which luminaires should be activated singly or in groups.
Pond lighting
Ponds, fountains, miniature waterfalls – water makes a fascinating garden feature, one which should be illuminated for appeal and for safety. Water feature lighting is an extension of general garden lighting, realized by bollard or post-top luminaires. Recessed ground luminaires or non-static lights such as spots on earth spikes illuminate plants in and around ponds to striking effect and create fascinating reflections in the water.
For special eye-catching effects, underwater lighting systems can be used. The darker the surroundings and the fewer reflections on the surface of the water, the greater the visual impact these systems produce.
Only luminaires specially designed for underwater use may be installed in ponds; nothing else guarantees the operational reliability required. Operated on a protective extra-low voltage, underwater floods are available in recessed and surface-mounted designs. Individual or collective transformers need to be installed upstream and power needs to be supplied via rubber-insulated flexible cables.
Lighting provides security
Market solutions for guarding against burglary take myriad forms but every security concept makes use of light. Separate security lighting providing sudden bright light offers valuable protection.
For this security lighting, spots or floodlights are mounted on the house in addition to the outdoor lighting, e.g. beneath the roof ridge. Connected in series and governed by several motion detectors or combined with other electronic security devices, they should be positioned to provide illumination all around the perimeter of the building. The light needs to be directed away from the house. Only lamps designed to deliver instant full power, e.g. incandescent lamps or tungsten-halogen lamps, are suitable.
A certain amount of protection is also afforded by general outdoor lighting where a number of luminaires are used for maintained lighting and others are governed by motion detectors. Activating all the outdoor lighting from a central switch in the living room or bedroom is also an effective reaction to suspicious noises.
Swimmingpool
Orientation lighting
Bollard or low column luminaires in the vicinity of a pool provide adequate lighting for orientation. The pool does not need to be brilliantly lit; five to ten lux illuminance is always enough. Pool entry points are marked by flanking bollard or orientation luminaires.
A swimming pool is part of the garden and the pool lighting part of the pathway lighting. So the two systems should be wired for switching together. Where a pool is located in a remote part of the garden, however, it makes sense to incorporate separate switching anrrangements for the pool luminaires.
Underwater lighting
Underwater lighting illuminates the depths - for those at the side of the pool and for swimmers. It should be provided in addition to pool-side lighting. Even for very small pools where peripheral illumination is not required, underwater lighting is essential. For private pools, 500 lumens/m² luminous flux is recommended.
The darker the surroundings, the greater the visual impact of underwater lighting - but where pool surroundings are not illuminated, a "tent of light" of low brightness contrasts is created. Conversely, where no underwater lighting is provided, the surface of the water acts like a mirror, reflecting the light directed onto it from above and becoming a potential source of glare.
The only luminaires suitable for underwater lighting are special swimming pool luminaires, which are available for recessed mounting in or surface mounting on pool walls. They are operated on protective extra-low voltages and require upstream transformers in a dry location. Wiring should be planned as early as possible and only rubber-insulated flexible cables are admissible. Installation and asssembly should always be left to a professional.
About light
Light is life. Lighting level, light colour, modelling and changes from light to darkness impact on the rhythm of our daily lives, on our sense of wellbeing and on our mood.
Above all, however, light is the medium that enables us to see. 80 percent of the information we receive about the world around us is gathered by our eyes. Insufficient light or darkness prevents us getting our bearings and make us feel insecure. A sense of security at night is restored only when the darkness is banished by artificial lighting.
What is light
Over the centuries, the phenomenon of "light" has been studied and its mysteries explained by physics: light is visible electromagnetic radiation transmitted by a light source in waves. And it takes time to move from its point of origin to the eye of the observer. In a vacuum, light travels at a velocity of 300,000 km/s (speed of light). Each wavelength has a distinct colour appearance.
Light and vision
We perceive the world around us through sense organs. And the most important sense organs of all are our eyes: they provide around 80 percent of all the information we receive about our surroundings. Without light, that visual perception is impossible.
A brief history of lighting
As long ago 300,000 years ago, human beings used fire as a source of warmth and light. Campfires – and later torches and oil or tallow lamps – brought light and life into caves in which sunlight could not penetrate.
As settlements developed, lighting found more and more applications outdoors. Around 260 BC, the Pharos of Alexandria harnessed light to send signals; in 378 AD, streetlighting seems to have been in use in the ancient city of Antioch.
Although oil lamps were mere utensils, they were decorated and designed for aesthetic appeal. In 1783, lamp development took a major step forward with the invention of the central burner. In the same year, a way was found to make gas from coal for streetlamps. In 1879, the age of the electric light dawned when Thomas A. Edison "re-invented" the light bulb invented 25 years earlier by the German clock-maker Johann Heinrich Goebel.
In recent decades, lamp and luminaire development has been particularly dynamic. Modern technologies, new materials and new optical systems are opening up new possibilities in artificial lighting - while at the same time maximising economic efficiency and minimising environmental impact.
Lighting and the environment
It is not only lighting itself that impacts on the environment but also the products that go into a lighting system. Environmental acceptability is thus an important quality criterion for manufacturers of lamps, electrical components and luminaires. Environmental issues addressed in recent years include lighting power consumption, lamp recycling, light pollution and the effect of artificial lighting on insects.
About ten percent of the total electricity consumption is used for lighting. Up to 80 percent is consumed by industry, commerce, public authorities and transport; just one fifth goes into private household lighting. So power consumption is not very high to start with, but every hour saved helps ease the pressure on the environment. It has been known since before the 1997 Kyoto climate protocol that emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) need to be reduced.
The energy-saving options offered by the lighting industry include long-life lamps with high luminous efficacy, efficient electronic control gear, luminaires and lighting systems with optimized optical control characteristics and means of incorporating daylight near windows into artificial lighting systems. The aims of these innovations since the introduction of the energy-saving lamp in 1981 are to maximize output (=light), minimize input (=electricity) and improve the quality of lighting.
A central role in economical lighting is played by lighting electronics. A great deal of lighting, particularly in offices and factory bays, is provided by linear fluorescent and compact fluorescent lamps. Here especially, the use of electronic ballasts (EBs) makes a valuable contribution to environmental protection. It also, of course, reduces operating costs in comparison with conventional lighting systems. And last but n ot least, EB operation makes for greater lighting comfort – because it permits tailored lighting which meets high ergonomic standards, promotes a sense of wellbeing and is good for our health.
At some point, even the most economical lamp comes to the end of its useful life. And it is important that it is properly disposed of. Where disposal is easiest is in the case of incandescent and tungsten-halogen lamps. Consisting of metal and glass, these light sources contain no environmentally harmful materials and can simply be disposed of as normal household waste.
Fluorescent lamps, however, do contain environmentally relevant substances, so they must not be disposed of as household waste. Nor should their bulbs be disposed of at glass recycling points. Although energy-saving lamps, compact fluorescent lamps, linear fluorescent lamps and other kinds of discharge lamps today contain only minute quantities of mercury.
What are wall luminaires?
Wall luminaires are used for task lighting, as part of the general lighting in a room and as a source of supplementary, accentuating light. They generally belong to a luminaire "family" of uniform design.
What are luminaires?
The term "luminaire" refers to the entire electric light fitting, including lamp. Luminaires protect lamps, distribute their light and prevent it causing glare. Luminaires are differentiated on the basis of type lamp (incandescent, fluorescent, discharge lamps), number of lamps (single-lamp, twin-lamp, etc.) intended location (interior luminaires, exterior luminaires), degree of protection (luminaires for dry, damp and dusty interiors), type of construction (open luminaires, enclosed luminaires, reflector luminaires, specular reflector luminaires, louvered luminaires, diffuser luminaires, floodlights) and application (technical luminaries, decorative luminaires).
What are column luminaires?
Column luminaires are exterior luminaires for mounting on columns or column arms.
What is an electronic ballast (EB)?
EB stands for electronic ballast. EBs and dimmable EBs are increasingly being used instead of conventional or low-loss ballasts. They reduce power consumption and make for a high degree of visual comfort. Other advantages: higher luminous efficacy of lamps, flicker-free instant starting, longer lamp life, automatic disconnection of defective lamps.
What is photoelectric lighting?
Photoelectric lighting controllers automatically switch lights on and off when a pre-defined level of brightness is reached. The brightness is monitored by an integrated light sensor. Its sensitivity should be infinitely adjustable, e.g. from two to 2,000 lux for outdoor lighting.
What is a lamp?
No lamp, no light. The term "lamp" refers to an engineered artificial light source, e.g. incandescent lamp, energy-saving lamp, compact fluorescent lamp. Lamps are used in luminaires, which distribute and direct the lamps' light and prevent it causing glare.
What is glare?
Glare can be caused directly by luminaires or other surfaces with excessively high luminance, e.g. windows (direct glare). Direct glare is assessed by the UGR method. It can also be caused in directly by light reflecting from shiny surfaces (reflected glare). Glare impairs visual performance (physiological glare) and visual comfort (psychological glare).
What is luminux flux?
Luminous flux (Φ) is the rate at which light is emitted by a lamp. It describes the visible light radiating from a light source in all directions and is measured in lumen (lm).
What are bollard luminaires?
Bollard luminaires are primarily used for path-lighting. They radiate light from low mounting heights between 1 and 1.5 metres. Most bollard luminaires are fitted with optical control systems.
What are pedestal luminaires?
Pedestal luminaires can be mounted on walls or pillars for outdoor lighting.
What is luminaire spacing?
Luminaire spacing is the distance between light sources (= luminaires) in a street lighting system.
What is mounting height?
In the context of exterior lighting, the term mounting height means the height from which light falls on an illuminated surface.
What are recessed ceiling luminaires?
Luminaires for mounting in cavities or ceiling voids. Most of the luminaire is recessed in the ceiling and thus not visible. In many cases, the luminaire face is flush with the ceiling. See also Surface-mounted ceiling luminaires, Pendant luminaires.
What are spots?
Spots are luminaires used mainly for directional lighting. They are available for use with reflector lamps or in designs with reflectors incorporated into the luminaire and can be mounted on ceilings, walls, power track, wires or rods. Spots for exterior lighting - including those in earth-spike designs - need a higher degree of protection. Spots are often rotatable and swivel-mounted.
What are surface-mounted ceiling luminaires?
Luminaires for mounting directly on the ceiling. The luminaire housing is visible. See also Recessed ceiling luminaires, Pendant luminaires.
What is dimming?
Dimming enables the brightness of individual lamps or groups of lamps to be controlled. It changes the lighting atmosphere, permitting adjustments to suit different room uses (comfort dimming). Increasingly, dimming is also used to save energy (power dimming), e.g. in daylight-dependent office or factory lighting systems. Incandescent lamps and tungsten halogen lamps (230 Volt) can be dimmed with leading phase angle control dimmers, as can low-voltage tungsten halogen lamps operated by magnetic transformers. Lagging phase angle control dimmers are mainly used for dimming low-voltage tungsten halogen lamps on electronic transformers. They are also suitable for incandescent lamps and tungsten halogen lamps (230 Volt). Compact fluorescent lamps and tubular three-band fluorescent lamps need to be operated by dimmable electronic ballasts (EBs).
What is a lighting level?
Lighting level is the mean illuminance in a room or at individual points in a room. The term is also used where the key lighting quantity is luminance, not illuminance, e.g. in street lighting.
What is "spraywater-proof"?
The degree of protection assigned to a luminaire is a guarantee of safe and reliable operation. The IP code (standing for "Ingress Protection") consists of two numerals. The first (1 to 6) indicates the degree of protection against solid foreign bodies, the second (1 to 8) attests to the degree of waterproofness. Higher degrees of protection include those lower down the scale. Where one of the two numerals is missing, its place is taken by a capital "X", which means "untested".
What is narrow beam?
Beam spread is defined by the angles of the beam emitted by a luminaire or reflector lamp. It is determined by the design of the reflector. For uniform illumination (general lighting, task lighting), luminaires with a wide beam spread are required. For accent lighting, a narrower beam of light is needed. Wide-angled lighting is described as "flood" or "wide flood" lighting; narrow-beam lighting – e.g. with a beam spread of 10° - is referred to as "spot" lighting.
What is uniform lighting?
For the performance of a visual task, it is important to ensure not only the right lighting level but also the right degree of uniformity in the way the brightness is distributed. The yardsticks for this are uniformity of luminance and uniformity of illuminance, each expressed as a ratio between lowest and mean or lowest and highest values.
What are recessed ground luminaires?
Recessed ground luminaires - mostly floodlights with symmetrical or asymmetrical intensity distribution curves - are generally used for outdoor lighting. Set into the ground, they need to withstand the weight of pedestrians and wheeled vehicles and require a high degree of protection.
What are outlet pillars?
Outlet pillars with power cable and multiple power points permit central control of mobile luminaires for park and garden lighting.
What are motion detectors?
Motion or presence detectors react to bodies moving within a pre-defined monitoring zone. They are available in a variety of technical designs (passive infrared (PIR), radar or untrasound sensors). When movement is detected, they activate a light for a pre-specified time set by a timer. Depending on application (e.g. office or corridor), detectors need to be tuned for different degrees of sensitivity to movement. To prevent lights being switched on and off in daylight, motion detectors should be governed by a light sensor.
Outdoor lighting
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