Your Business 
frequently asked lighting questions

Our lighting expert, Craig Baranowski, answers your
lighting questions:

I'm planning changes in the lighting in our hospital and have heard how light can help people feel better. What should I use?

I'm not qualified to make any medical claims about the effects of lighting on wellness. But I have read a good deal about the subject, and have talked with many lighting experts. I'll pass what I've learned along to you.

The effects of lighting are largely psychological. This is true whether it's in a hospital setting or the local hardware store! The color, intensity, and source of light can easily affect our moods. Think about your own experiences in different lighting conditions. That said, let's explore some different lighting options for your hospital.

All of your public and office areas would benefit from high quality light. Many people find hospitals intimidating. Light is an ideal tool for creating a warm and encouraging atmosphere, which can help reduce anxiety. In the business areas, light can be used to create the best possible working environment. In fact, many studies show that light can boost employee productivity, wellness, and general attitude.

What is the "right" lighting? You may want to look at the new color-corrected T-8 lamps and electronic ballasts. You can retrofit your existing fixtures to take these lamps. Or you can put in all-new fixtures with specular reflectors, color-corrected T-8 lamps, and electronic ballasts. Color-corrected simply means that these lamps will produce light that renders truer colors, and doesn't mask them. I don't know what kind of lighting your hospital now uses, but it's likely any or all of the following.

  • The very common Cool White (CW) lamp producers a bluish white light.
  • The next most-common Warm White (WW) yields a brownish tone. Both mask certain colors;

CW has a tendency to dull down red and green and it enhances blue. WW dulls blue and green and enhances red. The new T-8, and some of the T-12 lamps, now have special phosphors that render more truly the color of whatever they are lighting - including people!

And remember: quality lighting affects staff and visitors as well as patients, and is a terrific value for the money!

 

I have been in the retail clothing business for 25 years and am a well-established business. Sometime back, CMP convinced me to put in energy efficient lamps to lower my energy costs. It seemed like a good idea, but my customers complained they couldn't see the clothes. So I put the old lighting back in. Now you say installing additional lights can help my business. What's changed?

Over the years, CMP has offered various programs. Some of these were in response to directives from the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). For example, a few years back, the PUC required us to encourage customers to purchase energy efficient products. While conserving energy is a good idea, many of those early products did not have the output that they do today.

For 20 years, utilities all across the country promoted lighting on the basis of energy efficiency. While the experts were right about the energy savings, they did not always weigh the quality issue heavily enough. You can't sell clothes if customers can't see them!

The need for well-planned lighting has become increasingly important to businesses as consumers seek ever more satisfying " shopping experiences". CMP's understanding has grown and we realize that as businesses grow and change, so do your lighting needs. One lighting scheme or goal does not fit all! Light levels, quality, balance, correct color, and other considerations come into play. You need the right mix to meet your specific business goals - to attract new customers, increase sales, decrease product returns, increase productivity, promote safety, and encourage repeat business.

The final decision is up to you, because the right lighting can make a big difference to your business!

 

I have lights in my parking lot, but still have problems with car break-ins. How is more lighting going to help?

The ideal lighting solution includes the use of various fixtures to roll security and safety into one strategy. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Security: Lighting does act as a crime deterrent. It's well documented that far fewer incidents happen when there's plenty of illumination. The issue of liability is also well documented; the owner must provide an adequately lit and safe lot or face serious consequences. As a rule of thumb, parking lot light levels should vary in relation to your business hours; all lights on during sales hours - most of them on when the business is closed but traffic flow is still high - and most off (except for security lights) the rest of the time.

Safety: While safety is always an issue, it's even more so when it gets dark. Your parking area must be bright enough to provide visibility for drivers and pedestrians after sundown. Although most lots have some light - and may even meet Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) standards - IES standards are only guidelines for MINIMUM lighting. It's best to work with a lighting professional to arrive at a level that protects both your customers and your business. Don't make the mistake of thinking only about cost outlay. A single lawsuit could quickly erase, by a multiple of 100 or more, any savings gained by keeping light to the minimum. Not to mention the cost of lost business if customers don't feel safe! When planning, think about the following:

  • Keep illumination uniform across your lot. Uneven lighting looks sloppy and uninviting. It's also unsafe for drivers and pedestrians because the eyes have to keep adjusting to the varying light levels.
  • Strive to reduce glare or reflected light which can create a hazard as it affects depth perception. This is especially important for older people.
  • Work with a lighting professional to come up with the most effective, cost-efficient outdoor lighting for your business.

 

I've heard the pitch about 'productivity' lighting, but I don't buy it. You tell me I can increase my bottom line just by changing my lighting. I think you just want to improve yours. Please prove it.

Quality lighting and your company's bottom line are linked like this: give a good employee the best environment in which to perform a given task and that employee will produce his or her best. For example, a clerk who can see his computer monitor without squinting is more likely to produce an error-free invoice than a clerk who has a headache from dealing with VDT glare!

Let's look at specific components in the good lighting = better productivity equation. There's light quality, which covers brightness, contrast, color, and amount of glare from the light source. Light quality has to be suitable for the type of work, size of work object, age, and physical condition of the person doing the work and that person's attitude. Imagine two offices, each1500 square feet. Light each in the same way, following IES published guidelines. Put 20 people of the same age and ability to work at the same tasks in each office. Theoretically, everyone's output will be the same. Now change nothing but the lighting in one office. Studies by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (www.lrc.edu), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (www.lbl.gov), show that, with everything else being equal, changing cool white lamps to color corrected-lamps increases productivity levels!

Quality lighting contributes to a safe, comfortable workplace. Employees put more focus on their jobs, and have a lower absenteeism rate in a well-lit environment. There are gains in work volume and accuracy. There's less waste and fewer customer complaints. Increased productivity'.lower costs'.all going to the company's bottom line.

Remember that every person/task combination is different. Your lighting needs to fit your business. Think about your own work area. Can everyone see what needs to be done without moving to a better-lit area? Does anyone squint because of reflections or glare? Are colors true-to-life under your indoor lamps? If your office has lighting challenges - or if you'd like to explore increased productivity through better lighting - get some specific advice from a lighting designer.


I recently replaced some old 4' fluorescents with 8' single pin fixtures, and installed color corrected (CRI=90) tubes in place of my cool whites. I am very pleased with both the color and quantity of light, but the hum from the fixtures is driving me crazy. Is there any way of reducing the noise, or did I just buy the wrong type of fixture?

The hum you hear is coming from the ballast, a lamp part you don't usually see because it's behind the fixture reflector. Allnon-electronic ballasts make a noise. Here's what a ballast is, and an explanation of why it makes noise.

A ballast is a device used to start and maintain energy in fluorescent, Metal Halide, High Pressure Sodium, and Mercury lamps to produce optimum light output. The ballast heats up the filaments, provides the right voltage to start the arc, and then creates the impedance to limit the current to the proper amount. Ballasts are often large and boxy. Most are made of steel laminates wound with copper or aluminum wire. The laminate core vibrates from hum. All ballasts are rated for sound. Interestingly, these ratings do not indicate the actual sound made by the ballast, but rather the amount of background sound needed to obscure it. The ratings are:

A.   <26 decibels
B.   26-30 decibels
C.   31-36 decibels
D.   >36 decibels.

The sound rating for fixtures is located on the face of the ballast. You would want to choose an A-rated ballast in a church or library, B would be suitable in typical offices; C in noisy offices or retail stores; and D outdoors or in a factory. So one option is to replace your ballast with one that has an appropriate sound rating for your workshop and noise tolerance.

That said, if you keep your fixture as is, there are ways to reduce the effect of ballast noise. If your fixtures are mounted solidly to a ceiling or a metal frame, the ballast sound may be amplified. You can sometimes reduce this by using rubber shims under the mounting points to absorb vibration and lessen the noise. You can also check and make sure the ballast is mounted into the fixture tightly.

I hope you find these suggestions helpful. Give me a call if you want to discuss lighting at your business.


I've been hearing about business lighting through CMP's Lighting Connection newsletters, bill inserts, and phone representatives. I have a lighting project planned. Can you please explain how CMP could play a role in my project? What can you do for me?

CMP acts as your energy project consultant. You set the goals and select your lighting partners. I can give you ideas to help ensure your project is on track to meet your objectives - for FREE!

You're the expert when it comes to your business, but you may feel uncomfortable evaluating proposals or making decisions that involve color temperature, color rendering, lamp placement, or other unfamiliar territory. In your case, your project partners might include electrical tradespeople, an architect or engineer, and electrical wholesalers. Next, you're invited to use CMP as a "second set of eyes." CMP is available to review your plans, double-check specs, raise questions, or make suggestions about the lighting solutions proposed by your project partners. A FREE second opinion!

As an example, I recently assisted a customer who wanted to review parking lot and entry lighting at her restaurant. The fixtures selected were commonly used 175-watt globe area lights. My suggestion was to change these to square exterior fixtures - they direct the light where needed. These fixtures have excellent light control, are very efficient, and do not add to light clutter. For the walkway leading to the entry, I suggested bollards (4-ft. tall post light that casts light downward) to create a well-lit path to the entrance. For the entry I suggested she light with a couple low-mounted floods to make it stand out. After review of my suggestions and understanding how lighting could affect her patrons, her business security, and her bottom line, she implemented the changes - but now based on informed decisions!

The effort on my part is to educate, suggest, and, yes to promote, the use of electricity so your business can be more profitable. I do so in a manner that can help you make a business decision whether to use additional lighting, or any electrical product, or not. Give us a call today!

 

I've got a lighting vendor telling me to change out perfectly good, working office ceiling lights. What's going on?

All lamps and fixtures have an operational life and a useful life. My guess is the lighting vendor feels either the lamps or fixtures have reached the end of their useful life.

You didn't say if the suggestion was to replace the lamps or an entire fixture, so we'll look at both for a typical office light fixture.

A typical recessed ceiling fixture has four components to it. The fixture body, the lens, the lamp(s), and the ballast. If any part fails or does not perform at its rated level, the light system as a whole is not operating at maximum benefit.

A fluorescent lamp has a rated average life of between 20,000 and 24,000 hours for 4-foot lamps, based on 3 burning hours per start. As the lamp's operational time increases, the lamp's output decreases. It reaches a point - after about 15,000 hours - and the fixture is dirty, the operational life stays the same, but the useful life could drop to 4-6 years. In other words, the fixture is still consuming the same energy, but you may be getting less than half the intended light because the lumens can't get out.

Lack of care and maintenance on the fixture, lens, and/or lamp can cause substantial decrease of that light coverage. That can lead to a waste of energy, money, visibility, and productivity in your business. A decrease in any of its operating characteristics may be good cause for replacement. Even though a lamp is still burning in your fixture, it may not be doing its job.

In addition to recommending lighting changes, I can assist you and your lighting vendors in establishing a maintenance plan to help minimize early light system.

Give me a call today!

 

I have some 100-watt (incandescent) bulbs that keep blowing out. The fixtures look great over my entryway and they require this type of bulb. I've tried several brands, but with the same result. What do you recommend?

Your question is probably the most common one relating to incandescent lamps. Per lamp manufacturers, more than 50% of all the lamps that fail do so because of a break in the filament, not because the lamp burns to the end of its life.

An incandescent lamp is comprised of three parts: the base, globe, and filament. The base passes the electrical current across lead wires to the filament; the globe protects the delicate filament; the filament is the light-producing piece of the lamp and the most common factor in early lamp failure. The filament is made of tungsten metal which glows white-hot and produces the usable light we get from the lamp.

In a perfect situation where the lamp is never subjected to any temperature swing, vibration and/or voltage variance, the lamp would burn for 750 to 1000 hours before burning out. But because lamps are rarely used in this perfect situation, outside events and elements tend to excessively flex the filament and can eventually break it.

That leads me back to your question. I would guess that you have extensive vibration from door use and foot traffic in your entryway. This is likely affecting your lamps and causing a shorter-than-average lamp life. A good solution might be a rough service lamp, which most lamp manufacturers. These kinds of lamps are made with heavier filaments that are more resistant to vibrations and other outside effects.

As always, the choice of lighting depends upon your objectives and your business setting. The good news is, with so much technology to choose from, you're likely to find something that solves your problems and satisfies your business needs.


We changed all the lamps in our office a year ago and now I'm getting complaints about them burning out. My facility person says I bought "cheap" lamps and I need to spend more. Please advise.

Odds are you purchased replacement lamps designed for residential use. When buying lamps for your business, you have to look at both performance and price - kind of like buying a car.

Comparing a 4-foot fluorescent that costs a dollar to one that's 3-6 times as expensive is much like comparing a Yugo to a Rolls Royce. Fluorescent lamps are glass tubes filled with various gases, phosphors, mercury, and some starting aids. The better the mix of these components, the higher the performance of the lamp. As with all things, when quality goes up, so does the manufacturing cost and the price tag.

Look for a "performance rating' on the side of the lamp packaging. It should state the watts consumed, average life, lumen output, and, in some cases, the color temperature. Lower cost lamps often have a much shorter rated lamp life - 10,000/12,000 hours compared to twice that for a commercially-rated lamp. Evaluate burn time and lamp cost against your disposal rates and costs. There's a big difference in lumen output, too. A typical lower cost lamp has an initial output of 2,700 lumens and then quickly drops off to 2,300 or less. A high quality, energy efficient T-8 lamp averages 3,100 to start, then drops to 2,950. That's a 15% light level loss with the lower cost lamp compared to just 5% with the better one. Additionally, color correction is hard to find in less expensive lamps (see our cover story and charts for more information on color rendition).

A 10,000-hour lamp in your basement shop might only be used 500 hours per year and thus could last 20 years. In a typical office it might burn from 4,500 hours per year right up to 8,760 hours if it's on 365/24/7.

What does this all mean? Buy lamps that are rated to fit your specific setting and needs. Otherwise, they'll burn out quickly and the associated business costs will mount up fast - outweighing any upfront savings on the cheaper lamp itself. Consider labor costs for more frequent change outs, additional money purchasing new lamps more frequently, and increased disposal costs.

There are many things to consider when selecting lamps. Most lamp manufacturers have excellent web sites with very helpful information about all kinds of lighting issues. I encourage you to check out gelighting.com, philips.com, sylvania. com and others. Take time to do a little homework and you'll make the right business choice the next time you're replacing lamps.

And, as always, never hesitate to give a CMP Lighting Expert a call at 1-800-649-1169 to assist with your lighting project!

 

Which type of sign lighting is best - neon or fluorescent?

For most businesses, a properly lit sign is the single most important - and relatively least expensive - advertisement you can have. A well-displayed sign, set on an attractive fa-ade, almost shouts, "Here we are, come on in!" At the very least, a sign states your business name and advertises your location. The best signs do more. They portray image and character, offer a promise of quality, and make your business virtually impossible to pass by without being noticed. A well-designed sign says something about you as an owner, as well. It shows you take pride in your business- outside and in.

With that said, let's look at advantages offered by neon and fluorescent lighting:

Neon can be bent and shaped in such a way to write or depict almost anything you can dream up. And it comes in a dazzling array of colors. Here at CMP, we have seen neon lights shaped into cars, cups of coffee, flowers, animals, and much more. Though this specialty signing comes at a higher price, it may well pay for itself quickly if neon proves to be the material that best sends your message.

Fluorescent sign lighting has advantages, too. It can be mounted above, below, or inside your sign and will operate in temperatures that dip below zero. In general its output is a white light. You position it to reflect the color of the sign back to the viewer. Because fluorescent is a linear light source, it can create a very smooth lighting pattern over the whole sign.

The right choice is the lighting that achieves your goal. No matter which light you choose, you'll want to make a commitment to keeping your sign lit to its original intention.Watchful maintenance is key! As mentioned above, a well-lit sign tells the customer a lot of good things about your business. A sign with burned out lighting and fixtures, or any hint of disrepair, sends the wrong message.

So, make sure your exterior lighting is planned, established, and well maintained. It's a reflection on your business!

 

What type of lighting should I use with the high ceilings in my business?

As a general a rule of thumb, fluorescent lighting can be used at heights up to 20 feet. High pressure sodium (HPS) lamps or metal halide (MH) will give their best output in low bay fixtures at 8 to 20 foot heights and in high bay fixtures at heights of 15 feet and up.

Each has its good and bad points and is situation dependent. A fluorescent system of 4 or 8 feet, non-high output lamps can be used at heights up to 20 feet, but best results will be obtained at 9 to 15 feet. With high output lamps and/or the new T-5 lamps and fixtures, the height can increase to 30 feet. Fluorescent fixtures give you a great deal of flexibility in sizes, shapes, and lamps, while retaining great color. Their design has been accepted as the standard for offices, retail businesses, schools, and other applications.

High and low bay fixtures have been, until recently, considered industrial fixtures because of their ability to light from high mounting heights and due to their size - some fixtures are 30 by 28 inches wide and weigh 60 to 70 pounds. In the past 5 years, these fixtures have crossed over into many of the large hardware, food, and upscale department stores. They are also beginning to use more electronic ballasts (which allow efficiency gains) and lamps that have better color characteristics.

For more specific lighting application assistance, don't hesitate to give us call at 1-800-649-1169. Take advantage of the lighting expertise that CMP has provided to help hundreds of CMP business customers.

 

I'm confused! Sometimes you promote energy efficiency, and other times usage. Please explain.

That's a very good question, and you're not the only one who gets confused about efficiency issues. First, let's clear something up. The right light is not about using less or more, it's about using exactly what you need to get the job done.

So where did all that confusion come from? Even though business lighting costs contribute less than 5% on average to overall operating costs, lighting is often a target for lowering electric bills. And that can be shortsighted. While no company should waste energy, you don't want to cut corners where it might hurt sales without saving much money.

Fifteen to twenty years ago, the common practice for conservation was to remove lamps and fixtures. Unfortunately, this was at the expense of lighting quality, and often resulted in ineffective, low light levels that were not matched to the business purpose.

Today there's a movement toward true efficiency of light - a combination of light quality and quantity that meets the business needs and uses energy wisely. With the wide array of fixtures and lamps currently available, that goal can be easily achievable. I can help you with this process and offer suggestions on a variety of options.

If done properly, good lighting can be truly efficient, in terms of both quality of light delivered and amount of energy used, with results that can grow and strengthen your business. Contact CMP today to learn how!

 

I work in a billing office with nearly fifty workstations, each with PCs under fluorescent lighting. Several of us are getting headaches and think it's a lighting problem. Could this be the case and, if so, what can be done about it?

Glare and flicker from fluorescent lighting could be the problem. My first suggestion is to have your system reviewed and analyzed by a certified lighting professional.

Glare
Glare is a disproportionate reflection of bright light sources - natural or artificial. Windows, unshielded light fixtures, and shiny objects will reflect back to a VDT screen or glossy papers on your desk. Glare from light fixtures can be greatly reduced with parabolic lenses. A parabolic lens has a grill face with louvers that control the light output and help stop the "hot" spot on ceilings that regular flat plastic lenses often create. Another lighting design to consider for this environment is an indirect lighting system, in which the fixtures bounce light off a light-colored, reflective ceiling. Indirect lighting designs are becoming more popular as they produce softer, more defused light. Properly designed, indirect lighting reduces shadows and provides a less harsh, more uniform lighting pattern. Additional items to consider in glare reduction are window shades or drapes, positioning the angle of the PC monitor away from the glare-causing source, positioning the operator effectively, and use of PC anti-glare monitor screens.

Flicker
The other major contributor of eye fatigue and strain is flicker. Older-style fluorescent ballasts operate at 60 Hertz (Hz) - they are actually shutting on and off 60 times per second. Flicker is the name for this constant shift in the brightness of the lamp and has been well documented to cause eye fatigue and strain. For most people, flicker is not apparent beyond 70 Hz, however, under some circumstances it can be visible upwards of 100 Hz. If this is the source of discomfort, a retrofit of the newer electronic ballasts, which operate over 100 Hz, should eliminate a flicker issue. In considering the new electronic ballasts, a retrofit of T-8 lamps to replace any T-12s will also help to improve an eyestrain problem by improving the color and quality of light in your space.

 

You've talked about how better lighting can improve productivity. Can you cite some specific examples and statistics?

Sure. There are many specific examples of companies that have benefited from a boost in productivity resulting from lighting system improvements. And studies continue to be done, so you can expect to see more information on this topic. For example, the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is completing a 4-year study on productivity and lighting this year. We'll let you know when their report is out, and share some of their findings in future issues.

These well-known companies experienced increased productivity after upgrading their lighting. Here are the numbers:

  • Pennsylvania Power & Light: Productivity in the drafting department increased 13% with a lighting upgrade to provide more illumination and less glare.
  • Lockheed: Engineering & Development facility increased productivity by 15% with a new lighting upgrade.
  • US Post Office: Reno, Nevada facility - saved $400,000 per year when a new lighting system was installed.
  • West Bend Mutual Insurance: Claims Processing department - increased productivity by 16% with overall lighting changes.

All companies have the potential to increase productivity by improving their lighting.

The benefits of the improvement depend a lot on the state of your current lighting system, and every company is different. But ask yourself what a 10-20% increase in productivity could mean to you. Better quality control? Fewer mistakes? Less waste? Lower absenteeism? Higher morale? Every one of these results can be translated into a dollar and cents statistic - and show up right in your bottom line. Do a little math and you'll find it adds up!

Even without statistics, seeing is believing. Our CMP's Lighting Connection will continue to bring you stories about Maine businesses that have seen for themselves the benefits provided by improved lighting. And we'll continue to give you ways to make and benefit from lighting upgrades of your own!

 

*From the National Lighting Bureau, Solar Today, and the Rocky Mountain Institute.

 
 

more information

  • The National Lighting Bureau has a wealth of information on High-Benefit Lighting.
  • The Lighting Research Center (part of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), is the leading university-based research center devoted to lighting. 
  • The Big 3 manufacturers—GE, Philips, and Sylvania—offer information on products and lighting design.